The basketball campout organizers say about 1,000 students have registered this year for Friday’s 2007 version, as Wolfpack fans brave the cold to secure tickets to the Feb. 3 game against the Tar Heels.
Students begin arriving around 5 p.m. and get their tickets in the morning.
The 2006 basketball campout for the UNC-Chapel Hill game last year drew nearly 1,500 students to the lawn across from Reynolds Coliseum, separating Main Campus’ two tunnels.
The crowds, piling into tents, filled the normal campout area, spilling into the Talley Student Center courtyard.
“We expect [the campout this year] to be a good event for students to show support for Wolfpack basketball,” Matt Haggard, a senior in business management and chief organizer of this year’s campout, said.
Despite the success organizers and attendees claim for last year’s event, other students complained then of getting poor seats. Students at the back of the campout line in 2006 were stuck with 300-level tickets — a problem Haggard said should change this year.
“We’ve randomized the group that have registered as usual, but this year we have about 500 less people,” Haggard said. “Once the sides fill up, it should spill over to the seats behind the goal and stop there. But the good thing about campout is you’re guaranteed a hard-to-get ticket.”
As usual, Campus Police will attend, keeping order and making sure the attendees do not get out of hand during the night.
According to Sgt. Jon Barnwell, there will be extra personnel assigned to Dunn Avenue across from Reynolds Coliseum for the night.
“We’ll have a few officers who will be assigned to do nothing but make sure the area is secure,” Barnwell said.
Campus Police is experienced when it comes to maintaining order at campouts, and according to Barnwell the attitude at each campout usually seems to depend on the way students feel about the basketball team.
“A lot of the [behavior issues] are based on the perception of the basketball team,” Barnwell said. “It depends on what they feel is going on on the court.”
Carmichael Gymnasium has tents available for rent, but because of the limited supply, Haggard suggests students bring their own tents.
“Check-in begins at 5 [p.m.] on Friday, and students can go ahead and line up their tents in between the two tunnels as usual,” Haggard said. Like the Ram Roast during football season, the organizers said they are hoping to get men’s basketball coach Sidney Lowe and football coach Tom O’Brien out to the event, just to make an appearance and encourage the crowd.
“I’m trying to talk to some of the people in their office to get them out there,” Haggard said. “But they’re busy people, so we can’t guarantee anything.”
The night will be full of other events as well, as the organizers are bringing out the traditional Carolina blue car to smash with a sledgehammer, as well as a pig pickin’ for attendees.
“We’re also going to be having a tent decoration contest with prizes going out to the winners,” Haggard said. “So, it should be a pretty fun night.”