To sum it up, I am one of 250 Carolina students that spent thousands of their own earnings, time, and sacrificed class work to be stuck in the upper corner rafters in the San Antonio Dome by the Athletic Department during the 2008 NCAA Final Four . . . while we watched all other students sit court side. Did this effect the play of the game? This article argues yes, and that students should have more influence in all NCAA sporting events.

In the aftermath of North Carolina’s Final Four early exit and the Kansas victory, Tar Heel fans around the nation have been pointing their fingers in every direction. Some argue that Roy was out coached and outwitted by his Kansas counterparts. Many blame the team for being flatfooted and not prepared for the big stage. My personal favorites are those blaming the referees for allowing Hansbrough to get roughed up and out of his element. However, I am taking a different route for explaining the UNC loss; I am blaming myself.

The game that I witnessed this past Saturday happened to be the last basketball game I would ever attend as a Carolina undergraduate. The road to San Antonio was hard, long, and expensive for every person that attended. I have spent the past two months running the game through my head repeatedly, analyzing every rebound and shot during our Kansas defeat. No matter what route I take in my breakdown, I couldn’t help but fault myself. However, if you were present at the games in April, you would have noticed several fascinating trends.

First of all, the Alamo Dome was split into four equal sections. Each of these sections held their own perspective teams. After speaking to students from each of the schools, we learned that only two of the four schools provided their student body with lower level tickets. After learning this, many of the Carolina students became disgruntled. For the majority of students, the thought of being in the upper level was a chance that they were willing to take. After all, in 2005 the baby blue students scored lower levels, and it was expected to be the same case only 3 years later. We lost the gamble, and we were completely fine with that deal.  But we were disappointed because each of those two schools with students on the court also moved past the semifinals. So why do I blame myself for the loss of the game? Because there was no way that we, as Carolina students, could have impacted the atmosphere of that basketball game.

Carolina basketball thrives off our fine tradition of having a home court advantage and rowdy student sections. In the lower level of the Dean Dome, there are four full student sections including the risers, as well as Carolina Fever and the band. The students stand the entire game, cheering loudly and supporting their Heels. In all home games this year, the four-minute mark has been the knockout bell for the majority of ticket holders in the lower level. Alumni or not, hundreds of fans leave the Dome during this timeout.

Many people argue that there is no difference between a yelling alum and a student during a basketball game. I beg to differ. The excitement shared by the student is not a result of being entertained; it is one of passion. There are many other fans that share this passion, but for us students it’s different. We have four years at this university, four short years to enjoy every moment. Think back to your undergraduate days and how different attending a basketball game seemed. Carolina students savor every moment at any basketball game, whether it is Mount Olive or the highly coveted Duke game. They take pictures, make ridiculous t-shirts expressing their love for the players and Roy, give Ramseys a high-five and hug although they’ve seen him a million times, sing and dance with the band, and genuinely attempt to burn these memories into their head along with their study guides for midterm week. My best memories come from that Dome, not because I was simply there, but because I experienced the moment with thousands of other students. From the Marvin Williams put-back versus Duke to Hansbrough giving 7′7” Kenny George a dunk to the face, it would not have been the same if I were not around Carolina students. We fill the lower levels, we pack the risers, we stand the entire game, and we NEVER leave before the final buzzer. These characteristics of the student section are not highly secret or invisible during any game, so one would assume we would try to mimic this in the NCAA semifinals to help a home court advantage. After all, I’m sure Duke would have put the Cameron Crazies court side if they were in the same situation.

I could not have been more wrong. After spending 10 hours flying, 3 hours driving, and countless hours anticipating the game, nearly 180 Carolina students were presented with tickets in the upper corner of the Alamo Dome. Words truly explain how far away these seats are, so I constructed some diagrams above.

We were everlastingly grateful for receiving tickets and the fact that we had the option of buying them. It’s an experience that we will never have again. For that matter, I refuse to complain about the location of the seats. We did, however, agree that the location of the students could have had an impact on the game. Perhaps signs such as “Psycho T is your daddy”, “Make it Rain, Wayne”, or “We have Roy” could have ignited a defensive stop or an offensive run. Our signs couldn’t be seen, though they were still held. Maybe the players looking into the stands and seeing that nearly 200 of their students and good friends cared enough to travel all that way to watch them play would have evoked pride and passion. But our standing bodies couldn’t be seen. Perhaps a student heckling a Kansas player could have erupted emotions and threw them off their game. But our voices couldn’t be heard. Throughout the game, the UNC atmosphere seemed invisible. No one on the court in baby blue was standing, all sitting, waiting for the next reason to lift themselves out of their seat. This was all happening while the students of the back upper corner wholeheartedly refused to sit in the Final Four seat pads provided for our comfort. College basketball isn’t meant to be comfortable when you are a student.

The NCAA also agrees. If fans, particularly students don’t matter in the game of college basketball, then why is the NCAA trying so hard to revive the atmosphere of the game? Next year, the Final Four will be an amazing experience for the students. I am glad the NCAA is finally making the tournament more student based and therefore exciting. Yes the alumni donate thousands of dollars, pay for many of the things students enjoy, and deserve to sit up and close to the game. However, there needs to be a fair balance of students and alumni in important games such as these.

Hopefully this is a good omen, either way it will be great to see thousands of standing, screaming students during the Final Four next year. In the future, I could care less where my seats are at a Final Four. I just hope the students for all teams that paid the price have an opportunity to positively impact their fellow students on the court. Either way, we were proud of our team and our coach, they never gave up. Even when it was 40 – 12, I overheard chatter about a comeback and that we could do it. We got close, but that Saturday just wasn’t our day. But hopefully with this article, all Athletic Departments will think twice before sticking their students in the upper corners.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 3:11 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.