2/3 of Block Seating Applications Rejected

Members of 44 various groups snagged more than 3,000 tickets -- about 25 percent of the total allotted for students -- during Monday's block seating distribution at the Smith Center.

Director of Ticket Operations Clint Gwaltney said that students have been turned away from block seating in the past but that it was "not very common."

"Far more were turned away in this game than others," he said. "More groups applied, but we filled only a third of the applications."

Gwaltney said that about the same number of blocks were given out for the Texas game last month but that no students were turned away.

Groups were selected for block seating randomly, Gwaltney said.

"They're basically pulled out of a hat," he said. "Random selection is the best we can do."

Carolina Athletic Association President Kris Willett said it was the only way to pick which students get blocks.

"It is unfortunate they had to be turned away, but they have another chance (this) morning," she said.

Block seating appealed to students who wished to sit with large groups and wanted avoid waiting in this morning's ticket distribution line. Distribution for the remaining student tickets begins at 8 a.m. today. At 10 p.m. Monday students were already camping out at the ticket office in line.

"People realized (block seating) was a good way to go," Gwaltney said.

About 75 students who submitted block applications began lining up at the Smith Center ticket office about 3 p.m. Monday to find out if their groups had been selected to receive tickets.

Junior Jason Chandler, one of the many disappointed students who walked away empty-handed, had plans to cook out and attend the game with a group of 31 friends.

Chandler said he turned in the application early Monday morning "so I wouldn't have to come here (this) morning."

Now he and others who were turned down will be forced to join the long line of Tar Heel fans, which swelled to more than 1,000 at the Texas distribution.

"I'm going to have to call as many of these people as I can to get here as early as possible," Chandler said, who planned to arrive at the Smith Center about 6 a.m.

But people who were selected for block seating, like business graduate student Brian Fields and his group of 75 colleagues, got to sleep in this morning.

Fields, whose group also received block seating for the Texas game, said applying for group seating means "better odds of getting a ticket."

Student morale, boosted by last weekend's win at Arizona State, was evident from the buzz of conversations in Monday's line.

"I think it will come down to the very end," said Alden Smith while waiting in line to score group tickets for the Kappa Sigma fraternity. "I want to say we have a good chance of winning."

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