Chapel Hill, N.C. — The NCAA is allotting the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 700 student tickets for the Final Four matchup against Duke.
Current UNC students received an email from university administration about how to enter a lottery system for tickets to Saturday night’s game.
Lottery winners will be notified after 5 p.m. Monday. Then, lottery winners will be provided a link to purchase their student ticket for $40 through the NCAA. The deadline to purchase a student ticket is 6 p.m. ET Tuesday.
UNC plans to hold a watch party Saturday night at the Dean E. Smith Center for the game against Duke. More details about the event are forthcoming. Tipoff between North Carolina and Duke is scheduled for 8:49 p.m. ET Saturday.
North Carolina and Duke last played on March 5, when the Tar Heels upset the Blue Devils 94-81 in Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
On Feb. 5, Duke beat North Carolina 87-67 in Chapel Hill.
First-year North Carolina coach Hubert Davis is the first Division I men’s basketball coach to lead his team to the Final Four since Bill Guthridge with North Carolina in 1998. Davis is due to become the 10th Division I men’s basketball coach to guide his team ot the Final Four. However, no head coach has led his team to the title in his first full season.
Duke University is also offering 700 student tickets, but is requiring in-person entry for its lottery system.
UNC-Final Four fan gear
Many people along historic Franklin Street are picking up their Final Four gear on Monday after North Carolina’s blowout win against Saint Peter’s.
Several stores had their first shipments arrive, including Chapel Hill Sportswear at 119 East Franklin St. Store manager Holly Dedmond said her team got to work as soon as the Elite Eight game finished.
“We worked for quite a while last night doing some prep work for today, but the T-shirts are all ordered,” Dedmond said. “Everything is ready to go. We’re just waiting on stuff to get here so we can start selling.”
Customer Angela Stroud made the hour-long drive from Clayton to the store.
“I said, ‘I gotta get up there and get these shirts’ because I know they’re going to go out fast,” Stroud said.
Stroud made the journey with her sisters and son.
“Oh my God, it’s going to be like waiting,” Stroud said. “(I’m) so excited just to see what these guys are going to do.”
“It’s hard to describe it to someone who hasn’t ever been here and been through this,” Dedmond said.
UNC alum Jennifer Borja was visiting Chapel Hill on Monday. Borja stocked up enough Carolina blue for her family to wear when they return home to Chicago. She was a student when the Tar Heels made one of their 20 other trips to the Final Four.
“I was just so excited thinking about all the students who got to feel that same excitement on the road to the Final Four,” Borja said.
Chapel Hill Sportswear has 16 shirts, sweatshirts and hats ordered. Dedmond was expecting the first boxes to arrive Monday afternoon.
Dedmond told WRAL News the store prepares for North Carolina to make it to the Final Four each season. When it doesn’t happen, the store hits the delete button on the T-shirt designs and orders.