The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Monday, Nov. 25, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

Here's how to watch the Final Four game in Chapel Hill and on campus

SupDogs Final Four Reservations
UNC fans camped out at SupDogs into the morning of March 30, 2022 in order to secure a reservation for the Final Four game against Duke on April 1.

In preparation for Saturday's Final Four game between UNC and Duke University, several bars, restaurants and UNC spaces are providing spaces to host fans who cannot attend the game in person, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Here's how students and fans can watch the game in town or on campus. 

Restaurants and bars

While many restaurants and bars are fully booked in advance to Saturday's game, restaurants such as Buena Vibra will keep their bars open.

Although reservations for a table are fully booked, Buena Vibra will allow customers into their bar on a first-come first-serve basis with a $15 cover fee. Doors for the bar will be open between 6 to 8 p.m.

“We’re going to have TVs everywhere,” said Jaime Reanos, co-owner of Buena Vibra. “People who come to the bar will still be able to watch the game comfortably.”

Reanos said the patio will also have TVs streaming the game, alongside drink and appetizer options for customers. 

Might As Well, a popular sports bar, sold reservations starting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday for $23, according to Manager Daniel Willenzik. The bar sold out in about 20 minutes. 

Willenzik said Might As Well will not be accepting walk-ins on Saturday. 

Bret Oliverio, owner of Sup Dogs, said that while the days leading up to Saturday have been intense, hosting fans for such a significant event is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Sup Dogs will be closed to those without reservations starting Saturday at 6 p.m. Going on eight years of business, Oliverio said the restaurant specializes in the chaos of big events and games. 

“Anything and everything gets cheered,” he said. “People are chanting, and it sort of all culminates when the clock hits zero and everyone storms out to rush Franklin St.”

If UNC beats Duke in the Final Four game, Sup Dogs will reopen after the Franklin Street rush. 

University events

On Saturday night, the Dean E. Smith Center will host a watch party open to the public, according to a Go Heels press release

The event will be free of charge to UNC students, faculty, staff and general fans. Entry A will be open at 5:30 p.m. for UNC affiliates with a One Card, and at 5:45 p.m. for the general public. 

Parking will be available for $5 at the Craige, Manning and Bowles parking lots starting at 4:30 p.m. Disability parking will be available at the Williamson lot for the same price. All parking transactions are cashless. 

“This is something that we’re able to do and provide an opportunity for those that can’t make the trip to a Final Four site,” assistant athletic director Gary Paczesny said. “(It is) an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the game with their friends and their family.”

Paczesny said the game will be broadcasted on the screens located in the corners of the stadium. There will be an extra screen set up on one side of the court — but the exact location is to be determined. 

Sam Pell, a sophomore at UNC, said he is planning on joining his friends for a watch party at the Smith Center. 

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.

“It’s where they play most of the time — it’s kind of like that atmosphere,” he said. 

Students and the public will fill the seating areas of the stadium but will not be allowed on the court, Paczesny said. 

Concessions and merchandise will be available during the watch event. 

“They can come down and enjoy the Smith Center and all the things that go on with a game at Carolina,” he said. 

@sam_long16

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com