But few students came out for those tickets Tuesday, the first day of the year's first bracelet distribution.
Usually distributions are well-publicized, allowing students to prepare to collect tickets. But this year, Fall Break fell directly before the distribution, making it difficult to get the word out.
The number of bracelets already distributed -- 1,500 -- is lower than Carolina Athletic Association officials had hoped, and CAA President Kris Willet said she was a little upset.
The first ticket distribution, being held this week, is for the Dec. 7 University of Kentucky game and the Jan. 18 game against the University of Connecticut.
On a distribution week, students can pick up bracelets at the student entrance, Gate 5, of Kenan Stadium. The bracelets are numbered based on a lottery system, and students must have their UNC ONE Card to receive bracelets.
Distribution hours are Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
At noon Friday, an assigned number will be drawn at random in the Pit. The person whose bracelet matches the "magic" number will be first in line when the ticket window opens Saturday. The number will be posted on the CAA Web site, the CAA sports ticker in the Pit and the Smith Center ticket office.
At 6:45 a.m. Saturday, students with bracelets should arrive at the Smith Center to prepare for line check. Students will be divided into blocks of 100 based on bracelet number. If students are not present for check-in, their numbers will be declared invalid when they are called to pick up tickets.
The ticket window will open at 7 a.m., and students should line up in order behind the bearer of the "magic" number bracelet. Students can pick up two tickets when their numbers are called for as long as tickets are available, and a valid ONE Card must be presented for each ticket.
Students whose bracelets have been tampered with will not be eligible for tickets. At 8 a.m. Monday, any leftover tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The distribution of tickets will not be in chronological order. "We put the best two games together to start off the year to drum up student interest," said Mike Kuhn, CAA's ticket distribution chairman.
He said CAA officials were afraid that if tickets for good games were distributed with tickets for games during Winter Break, students would feel obligated to pick up tickets for both games and then wouldn't attend the game over break.
To avoid the problem, CAA put games that fall over break in the same distribution sets and did the same by placing the games more people are expected to attend together, Kuhn said.
He also said ONE Cards could be checked upon entrance to the game to prevent any non-UNC students from acquiring student tickets. By the end of the season Kuhn hopes cards will be checked at every game. "Student tickets are for students only. Students are not supposed to bring friends and family to the games."
The University Editor can be reached udesk@unc.edu.
