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Students face an important choice on Saturday night: 2 Chainz or Final Four?

The UNC basketball team swarms Luke Maye (32) after winning  the NCAA Elite Eight game against Kentucky in Memphis on Sunday.
The UNC basketball team swarms Luke Maye (32) after winning the NCAA Elite Eight game against Kentucky in Memphis on Sunday.

The Jubilee concert featuring 2 Chainz and the UNC men’s basketball team’s Final Four matchup against Oregon are both on Saturday. 

The Jubilee concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and UNC’s Final Four game is set to tipoff at 8:49 p.m.

In a press release issued by the Carolina Union Activities Board after Sunday night's game, it was stated that the factors that played into scheduling the Jubilee concert included availability of the artist and of the venue.

The press release said there were only two possible dates when taking both of those factors into consideration, April 1 and April 15. 

April 15 is a UNC Spring Holiday, during which campus will be closed and many University employees will be off from work.

CUAB said in the press release it sympathized with those frustrated with the conflicting events.

“CUAB is working diligently to create the best Jubilee experience for our students and community members," the release stated. "We look forward to presenting 2 Chainz and a wonderful Jubilee event to the student body, and we wish our team the best of luck in their pursuit of another NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.”

UNC students expressed a variety of responses, ranging from indifference to irritation.

Conor Reid, a senior biomedical engineering major, did not planned to attend the concert but sympathized with those who had bought tickets. 

“It sucks,” Reed said. “I don’t know how many people are going to show up to the 2 Chainz concert with the Final Four going on at the same time. I’ve seen a lot of people trying to sell their tickets.”

For students with tickets, the response was different.

Katie Forbidussi, a first-year media and journalism major, said in an email she did not realize there was a possible time conflict when she bought tickets to the concert and was upset CUAB did not give more thought to the possible conflict, since the NCAA tournament dates are known well in advance. 

“I really wanted to go the concert, but I’m probably going to skip it now,” Forbidussi said. “My friends and I might go for a little bit and then leave, but we’re definitely going to watch the game.”

Luwam Yohanes, a senior global studies major, and two of her friends, Quinta Fernandes and Terhass Yosief are still planning on attending the concert. 

“Maybe if it was the championship game,” Yohanes said. “But it’s our last concert and we want to experience it with our friends.”

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Conner Nevel, a junior media and journalism major, was lobbying on Twitter to get the concert moved back one hour. 

“I think a lot of people are planning on skipping the concert or leaving when the game starts, which is what I plan to do,” Nevel said. “That would be embarrassing for everyone involved, so moving back the start time of the concert would let students attend both.”

@sethpyle22

swerve@dailytarheel.com