Final Four 2022
If you were guaranteed a ticket to UNC vs Duke in the Final Four, how far would you travel to be there? Would you purchase plane tickets two days before, fly across the Atlantic, and drive 14 hours to New Orleans, knowing that there’s a good chance you’ll lose, be heartbroken, and diminish your bank account? That’s exactly what I did last year, minus the loss.
During the Spring 2022 semester, I studied abroad in London. I chose that semester for a few reasons: it was the first semester with relaxed COVID-19 travel restrictions, it was my junior year, and most importantly, Carolina Basketball wasn’t good- there was nothing worthwhile to miss. Oh, how wrong I was. On March 5, 2022, I sat alone in a TV room in Stratford One, my student building in East London. There, I watched the second UNC vs Duke game of the season, better known as Coach K’s last home game.
That night, an unranked UNC team – desperate to make the NCAA Tournament – knocked off ninth-ranked Duke 94-81 in Coach K’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Like every Tar Heel, I was ecstatic. The game finished around 1:30 am GMT, and I jealously watched my friends rush Franklin Street through the lens of social media. I even looked up the closest Franklin Street to my London flat- I discovered one about two miles away, but it was the middle of the night and pouring rain. My time would come.
Three weeks later, Carolina knocked off Saint Peters in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. And who was up next? Duke. Again. It was set to be the first-ever meeting between the Tobacco Road rivals in NCAA Tournament history. And it was happening in the Final Four, in New Orleans, in what could very well be Coach K’s last-ever game. The pre-FOMO was already seeping in. There was no way I could miss this.
As the Marketing Chair for Carolina Fever, I was promised a Final Four ticket; I just had to say the word. What I didn’t have was a flight… yet. I started making a pros and cons list of going. The next morning, I called my parents, asking for advice. My dad said, “If it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which it is, I think you should go for it.” Two days later, I was on a flight back across the pond.
I landed in Charlotte, where I was picked up by three fellow Fever directors. We drove to Atlanta and stayed with one of their cousins for the night. The next morning, we made the trek to Gulfport, Mississippi, about an hour and a half outside of New Orleans. We checked into our Airbnb, but this was no ordinary Airbnb- it was large enough to fit 30 Fever directors going to the game. The next day was THE DAY. April 2. Final Four Day. To convey the raw emotions of that day, here’s my journal entry:
April 2, 2022
Left for New Orleans around 10:30 am. It was about 1 hour and 15 minutes to downtown NoLa from Gulfport. Parked in a garage and then began exploring Bourbon Street and the French Quarter. Café Beignet for lunch. Great live music and the beignets were delicious.
Walked around some more, then met up with a group headed to Caesar’s Superdome. Student entrance was through a parking garage where they had separated each fan base into lines separated by barricades. From left to right: Kansas, Dook, Villanova, Carolina. Kansas and Carolina’s lines were already packed upon arrival. Barely any Dook or Nova students. Teamed up with Kansas and would boo other schools as their students trickled in. UNC and Kansas students started hyping each other up. They’d say TAR and we’d say HEELS, then we’d say JAY and they’d say HAWKS. Lots of F*ck Coach K chants and friendly singing competitions- alma maters, etc. So loud in there with the sound reverberating around; really cool.
Got into the stadium and had bad seats for the first game between Kansas and Villanova. Kansas won relatively easily to advance to the championship. Then it was time for the big one- potentially the biggest March Madness game of all time. UNC vs Dook for the first time in tournament history, in the Final Four, in Coach K’s last season. We were ushered down to the student section courtside. Everyone ended up standing, so there was no real view of the elevated court. Tried alligator sausage before tip-off… very good.
Then it was time; 72,000 people were there. Amazing atmosphere. At halftime, we were losing but hanging with Dook… not our best half, but still in it. Dominated the second half and Caleb Love dropped 27 points including a clutch three-pointer to seal the win! Absolute pandemonium- dropped everything out of my pockets. Everyone was jumping and screaming. Greatest win in UNC history? Debatable, but could be. Definitely for me. Beating K in his final game at Cameron and now his final game, period. Didn’t stop celebrating in the student section for 30 mins. Most amazing sporting experience of my life. WE’RE GOING TO THE NATTY! And we’ll be there again on Monday! LFG! GTHD! GDTBATH!
Headed out to Bourbon Street to celebrate for a few hours. Made a Fever TikTok with Hubert (as Iron Man) snapping Coach K (Thanos) away. F*cking incredible night. So worth the flight over. Can’t believe it…
Two days later, we lost in the National Championship. I can’t say it wasn’t devastating. It was. But I’m so grateful to have been there for both games, especially our Final Four triumph. It’s still the greatest day of my life. Go Heels!