Unlimited Number of Peach Bowl Tickets Available to Students

Students have a few options for purchasing tickets to the bowl, which will take place in Atlanta's Georgia Dome on Dec. 31.

One avenue available to students is the UNC Ticket Office. Clint Gwaltney, director of ticket operations, said the UNC Department of Athletics already has sold 1,500 tickets to students and about 10,000 tickets overall.

Gwaltney said there is an unlimited number of tickets available to students and that he hopes for more students to turn out. "We would like to take 20,000 to 25,000 people with us to Atlanta," he said. "We still have room for as many students as want to go."

The price of a ticket from the athletic department is $55, and the seats span an entire end zone from corner to corner. The other end zone will be for fans of the yet-unnamed opposing team.

The ticket office is selling about 1,000 tickets per day, Gwaltney said, and he is expecting a rush once the opponent is announced and students begin to organize their travel plans.

Students also can buy their tickets directly from the Peach Bowl ticket office at a price of $55 for upper level seats and $65 for lower level seats.

Peach Bowl representative Matt Garvey said that while there are still plenty of tickets available, there is a measure of urgency. "It's entirely possible that we will be sold out after we announce our SEC team on Sunday."

Garvey said it makes a strong statement that between his office and the UNC ticket office 7,413 tickets were sold to UNC fans on the first day they went on sale. "It's obvious that UNC has some good fans, and they're showing it right now."

Another way for students to obtain tickets is from Burgess Foster, a UNC junior selling package deals in the Pit every day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Foster is offering a ticket and bus transportation package for $123.93, or students may buy the components separately.

The Georgia Dome seats offered by Foster are in sections 110, 121 or the first 10 rows of sections 318 to 325.

Foster said today is the last day to purchase tickets from him, and he hopes to sell out of tickets. Foster would not say how many tickets he has already sold.

Foster said he supports the football program so strongly because UNC has the best athletes in the country. He said he is especially proud of Ronald Curry's dedication and spirit. "He's the reason why I'm out here selling tickets."

Some students said they have been deterred from attending the bowl by high ticket prices. Sophomore Jean Hawthorne said the cost influenced her decision not to attend the game. "I'm excited about our team making the bowl," she said. "But as a college student around Christmastime, there's no way I can afford it."

Students who are planning to go to the Peach Bowl said they find the general ticket prices to be expensive but worth the money. Senior Justin Greene, who said he is attending because he wants to support UNC, bought his tickets through the athletic department.

Greene said traveling expenses plus the Christmas season are already financially taxing and that the ticket price should be lower. He said, "My parents are going to be paying me back in the form of a Christmas present."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.