But not all those students were clad in Carolina blue.
After a football ticket distribution that left some UNC students without seats at the game, the quantity of ECU fans that filled the student section evoked surprise in some Tar Heel supporters and frustration in others.
Some UNC students said they felt slighted because ECU fans gained entry to the student section through UNC students who obtained student section tickets for their visiting friends.
"It's getting out of hand," said UNC junior David Stroupe before the game. "I think it's a shame that so many Carolina students aren't going to get to go because so many of their own are giving away tickets to the ECU fans."
Carolina Athletic Association President Reid Chaney said he is aware of ticket-swapping between Carolina students and friends from other schools but said there is no way to monitor the frequency with which tickets are being given to nonstudents.
Chaney added that there is little, if anything, that can be done to keep visiting fans out of the student section. "There's really no way we can man that," Chaney said. "Whoever's ONE Card you have, they have rights to those tickets. You can't really control everybody who comes though the gate."
Many students said they were not surprised by the number of Pirate fans cheering in the student section because many UNC students have friends and family attending ECU, which is located only two hours away in Greenville.
Despite the number of ECU fans in attendance, some UNC students said visiting fans should not be prohibited from getting student tickets. "If it's not an Honor Code violation, I don't think it should be a problem," said Charlene Wong, a sophomore from Greenville. "One day I might want to get into an ECU game."
Chaney said there will be no more football ticket distributions for the rest of the season. Students will be admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis, a process Chaney said will reduce the long gate lines that several students said were a problem during Saturday's game. "With general admission, students start flowing through the gates gradually," he said. "On Saturday, everyone already had their seats reserved so they kind of all came at 3:15."
