UNC 2022

Good report, Babs. I agree with your observations. Let's cross our fingers that we will fare as well on Monday.

As any fan would, I am happy for the outcome and am pleased with the hard effort and poise from the Heels. But I also want to say to the FSU fans, that I think that they currently have the better team. From what I have seen of the last two FSU-UNC games, I would expect that this current FSU team would beat the present UNC team the majority of the time -- maybe at a 2 to 1 ratio if enough games were played.

So the outcome tonight was a luck of the draw for a victory. Soccer is that way. For the first 40 minutes FSU generally had the upper hand, but with no scoring. The Tarheels had a great 25 minute span where things pretty much went their way and scored three goals. FSU responded by dominating the last 20+ minutes and almost pulled it out, again showing what they are capable of. A lot of respect here for the FSU team.

 

I noticed on the telecast last night that it was announced that the attendance was 10,000. Well dang, 10K happens to be the seating capacity of the stadium! So they sold it out long before this weekend and no tickets were available starting maybe a month ago. This meant that for most fans, we were not able to get tickets after we saw if our favorite team(s) were going to be present.

Looking at the stands, it was clear that many seats were not occupied. I estimate that at most there were 7,000 people if not less. Clearly the stands at the ends of the field were at maybe 30 percent and the higher seats on the east side were essentially empty at game time and seemed to be at about 50% by the end. The east side lower level showed eventually about 80% (and I have no way of
knowing about the west side.)

So the NCAA policy of selling tickets in advance seems to be working for their coffers, but is surely is a real bummer for fans of the teams and cuts the numbers of support that the final four teams would enjoy. Is there any way any of us could persuade the NCAA to reserve reasonable seats for fans who would love to see their teams in person? It seems reasonable to reserve perhaps 1,200 for sale the day after the the final four teams are known. I am confident that those would sell.

Or will $$ and the convenience for NCAA continue to rule??

 

I doubt that the pre-sale of tickets is controlled by the NCAA. It think it is controlled by the host. It has been traditional, at least in North Carolina, for there to be a showcase event running simultaneously with the College Cup, with tickets being pre-sold to showcase teams. And, it has been traditional for a lot of those pre-sold tickets not to be used. I am not sure which school was the host this year (I have some dim thought it is NC State, but I could be wrong), but I would be addressing the host school to find out why no tickets were available to team fans.

 

It is without a doubt an NCAA thing. The NCAA controls everything at this level from merchandising to how much tickets and parking cost. It may be a arrangement with the hosts, but make no mistake the NCAA pushed this more than they just signed off on it. It's the same at the ACC level during ACC championships. They control ticket sales and cost ... that's why we get different ticket providers at each level.

Another reason why I think this was a NCAA decision to distribute tickets was *who* the showcase teams were. There's no way the hosts, being Cary and NCFC, would distribute tickets to teams across the country when there are several huge academies in the state of NC that would eagerly fill up the stadium instead.

 

I think that things changed about 3 or 4 years ago. Up to that point there were schools sponsoring the ticket sales on a local level and coordinating with the venue, the NCAA, and various local civic groups and soccer clubs. For years, I do believe that it was NC State, and then for awhile it was Campbell University. Up to that point there were schools sponsoring the ticket sales on a local level and coordinating with the venue, the NCAA, and various local civic groups and soccer clubs.

My routine was to call and talk to the nice folks at the ticket office at Campbell to arrange for tickets (and they answered the phone as "Campbell athletic tickets" or the like.) When the agent answers the phone he/she has identified the service as the "NCAA" ticket sales. But this year when I called, after being told that all of the tickets had been sold out for this weekend, I challenged her to check to see if there had been any returns. She apparently turned to someone nearby and I heard her say something like, "have there been any returned tickets for the NCAA soccer games?" (The answer was "no") ...My interpretation was I was talking to a commercial vendor.

Anyway...this is only one person's experience.

 

Historically, the teams coming to companion showcases most definitely received ticket allotments, regardless of where they were from. I do not know of any reason why it would have been different this year.

 

The ticketing situation is the same as it was in 2018 when Cary last hosted. Each youth team got an allotment of tickets. The 4 competing colleges did receive a smaller team allotment (200 instead of the 250 in 2018). My fandom started around 2011 so I can't talk to a full historical ticketing situation.

Keep an eye out for presale ads if you felt it was a hassle to attend the semifinal game. I just purchased tickets to the Women's Lacrosse final happening this May in Cary.

 

OK, let me state the issue in a different way.

No matter who is controlling the ticket disbursement or sales, does it make sense that about 3,000 seats have been empty as the championship games are being played?? .......Especially as fans of the competing teams who would love to be there in person are essentially locked out and resort to staying at home and then seeing on the TV screen that there are obviously thousands of empty seats.

Is there nothing wrong with this picture?

My understanding that of all of the seats that are reserved for the girls tournament, many (if not a half or more) of those tickets are not used. Is there not a better way to offer tickets to these teams IF they are actually going to use them?

 

I agree with this, completely. It is a bad policy not to have tickets available for fans, once the final four are set. Really bad.

 

It’s a money thing. The NCAA figures selling tickets to people that will actually be there no matter what makes more sense than waiting to see who is in it and see if those fans want to go. UNC being in it this year makes it a bit more tricky, but if the 4 schools were all from outside the area, it might be tough to convince a number of people to come.

Maybe they could set up a resale board for the tournament kids who are leaving and not attending, to sell their seats?

 

I have memories of earlier final four weekends where the stands were packed at this stadium.

There was a series of weekends where Cary was being alternated with College Station (Texas) where there the stadiums were packed. I remember being astonished that so many fans (and students in particular) came down to Cary from South Bend to cheer for Notre Dame in 2006, 2008, (and in 2010 against Stanford and in 2013 the UCLA v FSU game.) I see the totals as being in the 7,000 to 8,500 in final championship games which is reasonably high given that many ticket holders there for the semi finals had gone home when their team lost... The semi finals were sold out. The numbers when UNC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, or Duke were in the final 4 were typically higher.

 

December 4 & 6, 2015
December 2 & 4, 2016
December 1 & 3, 2017
November 30 & December 2, 2018
December 6 & 8, 2019
May 13 & 17, 2020
December 3 & 6, 2021

Just a bit of historical data. Was the extra day of rest in 2021 because of the BYU effect? I am not a fan of the extra day this year because it means I will be watching the game at home on TV due to family obligations. I could have been in the stands if the game was being played on Sunday.

 

Yes, the extra day in 2021 was due to the BYU effect. After 2020 and 2021, according to the Committee, there was agreement among the coaches that having an extra day of rest is a very good thing. They worked it out with the broadcasters and thus the Friday-Monday College Cup.

 

I wish the game was tonight! Feel like it should be on.

at least tickets should be easy for a Monday game for those that can make it. Teams at the ncfc event def got a ticket allotment for Friday. 16 per team I think.

On TV, the game only made it to espnU.

 

if the game had been played today (Sunday) would it had been at night or 1pm like the ACC Championship game? I seem to recall recent Championship games being played during the day.

 

I went to the final game last year at Santa Clara and the place was packed, even with the game moving from Sunday to Monday with an 8pm start time. I thought the move would result in a lot of empty seats, it didn’t.

 

Today is the day. I am so nervous for this team! One more game.

 

YEP, just as I figured, nothing on UNC tonight on this thread. Quiet as church mice. Well, you guys for the first time didn't get the natty. That must hurt.

 

Oh yeah, first time coach EVER.... winning over an old white man coach for the last 50 years. Somebody earlier in the tournament explained to me why there's favoritism on the east coast. Oh yeah, long time white male coaches winning all these years.... Anson Dorrance, Swanson, etc.

yeah well a young millennial asian American female coach just beat your all arses in the first year. What say ye?

 

Are you being serious? congratulations on the title. My daughter is friendly with several players on your team. That said, dont drag Swanson into this. UNC have not won since 2012 and UVA never have. Feel free to go back and talk to those who criticized her hiring to begin with.

 

There are poor losers and there also are poor winners.