What is the legality…?

AntNews?

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So this weekend we had great UNC crowds. I will admit I did not go on Friday but I went to both ECU games and I was genuinely impressed overall with how little purple and gold there was compared to some years past. Good job on our end.

However the issue of reselling continues to come up in regards to regionals/supers and so I posit this: What would be the legality of not allowing fans wearing the colors of the other team to sit in any section that wasn’t distributed to the away team?

Assuming clothes color is not some sort of protected federal class, what would stop UNC from having a policy of when a ticket scans it shows what section it’s in and if it’s not the visiting team section and you’re wearing their gear/color/hat then you’re not allowed in the stadium. At that point the ticket will be refunded at the original point of purchase and resold to a stand by line (of UNC fans).

This would a) keep a log of which resellers sold to away fans and b) present a high enough risk to open market sales than anyone selling to an unknown buyer would risk not making any money at all. On top of this, having this as a clear policy beforehand will cut out a lot of the desire to scalp anyways from sellers and buyers.

Is there anything in the NCAA by laws that would stop us? Is our agreement with SeatGeek worth more than the value of playoff environment? Do we want to make big donors feel good and let them turn a little profit every summer?

what says ye?
 

JordanF0705

Freshman
Nov 6, 2025
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not sure about your questions regarding colors.

However, multiple pro teams restrict fans from purchasing tickets if they aren't in a specific zip code. At the Master's they will ban you if you resell your tickets. No reason why UNC can't take a similar approach - at least cutting down on the resell of secondary markets at 10x face value.

These ticket apps are able to track where the ticket is and how many transfers it has had. They know who uses the ticket based on the account it's in - sell your ticket to a visiting fan? Banned from requests in the future.

The reason they wont? $$$$$$$. Too many high end donors that give $ that they don't care what happens to the tickets.
 

ImaTarHeel

Senior
Aug 1, 2025
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Considering All the tickets were bought by season ticket holders or high up RC members, a lot of purple and gold was there. I've gripped about this enough, but it sucks for those who desperately want tickets and quite a few were bought this weekend with no intention of going. One last thing, the standing room tickets should be offered to RC members first. Walking from home plate down the 3rd baseline was nothing but pirate fans in the concourse.
 

unctarheel1984

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Considering All the tickets were bought by season ticket holders or high up RC members, a lot of purple and gold was there.
The NCAA requires blocks of seats for each team in the regional. 200 to each visiting team for the regional. IIRC those seats must be between 1st and 3rd bases. So 600 seats (plus something like 5% of the total occupancy to the NCAA - another 200 +/-) we cannot control. For the super regional the allotment is 600 to the visiting team with at least 400 of those between 1st and 3rd (plus the NCAA’s 5% again).
 
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ImaTarHeel

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Aug 1, 2025
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The NCAA requires blocks of seats for each team in the regional. 200 to each visiting team for the regional. IIRC those seats much be between 1st and 3rd. So 600 seats (plus something like 5% of the total occupancy to the NCAA) we cannot control. For the super regional the allotment is 600 to the visiting team with at least 400 of those between 1st and 3rd (plus the NCAA 5% again).
Fully understand that, I’m talking about aftermarket and walk ups that were sold.
 

AntNews?

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One last thing, the standing room tickets should be offered to RC members first. Walking from home plate down the 3rd baseline was nothing but pirate fans in the concourse.
this is true. They just keep these as a cop out response for all the angry fans that call/comment all week so they can say “well a limited number of tickets may be available” instead of saying “sorry, it’s sold out”
 

Peppersthebeast

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Jul 31, 2025
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If we ended up playing USC, I would have to imagine they would have minimal fan support to leave LA to come out to Chapel Hill. Obviously parents of the players and what not but with the World Cup starting there very soon, I just don’t see many people leaving.
 

apex1

Senior
Feb 4, 2013
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So this weekend we had great UNC crowds. I will admit I did not go on Friday but I went to both ECU games and I was genuinely impressed overall with how little purple and gold there was compared to some years past. Good job on our end.

However the issue of reselling continues to come up in regards to regionals/supers and so I posit this: What would be the legality of not allowing fans wearing the colors of the other team to sit in any section that wasn’t distributed to the away team?

Assuming clothes color is not some sort of protected federal class, what would stop UNC from having a policy of when a ticket scans it shows what section it’s in and if it’s not the visiting team section and you’re wearing their gear/color/hat then you’re not allowed in the stadium. At that point the ticket will be refunded at the original point of purchase and resold to a stand by line (of UNC fans).

This would a) keep a log of which resellers sold to away fans and b) present a high enough risk to open market sales than anyone selling to an unknown buyer would risk not making any money at all. On top of this, having this as a clear policy beforehand will cut out a lot of the desire to scalp anyways from sellers and buyers.

Is there anything in the NCAA by laws that would stop us? Is our agreement with SeatGeek worth more than the value of playoff environment? Do we want to make big donors feel good and let them turn a little profit every summer?

what says ye?
Why stop a clothing color ? Let’s see those tattoos, heck, even the underoos.
 
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HeelsFan

Sophomore
Jul 23, 2025
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not sure about your questions regarding colors.

However, multiple pro teams restrict fans from purchasing tickets if they aren't in a specific zip code. At the Master's they will ban you if you resell your tickets. No reason why UNC can't take a similar approach - at least cutting down on the resell of secondary markets at 10x face value.
There are many a fan throughout the state that this doesn’t work against an in state opponent like ECU.

RC could easily figure out folks that are buying solely for resale… but surely won’t. For football and basketball they have increased ticket prices for big games that scalping becomes less lucrative. Baseball seems to not follow that approach, as these are sold at face nowhere near market value. Problem being you have no clue which team will play which game to set the price upfront. I thought maybe it was dictated by NCAA but perhaps not:
 

Uncfan419

Junior
Aug 1, 2025
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If I’m not mistaken, that’s how most if not all of Europe does their soccer tickets? I remember all the tickets I’ve bought say you have to be wearing the homes team colors unless you are in the away section.
 
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nutz4Dheels

Freshman
Nov 7, 2006
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I don’t understand the high end donors screwing the program over for a few $100 over a weekend. It’s just stupid
I've never understood this either.

Guys, we did a great job this weekend as a fan base. ECU thought they were going to take over our stadium and they had like 10% of the fans for the championship game. UNC fans showed out. It was a complete non-issue.
Agree 100%. An ECU fan sat in front of us on Saturday and told his family "We are WAY outnumbered here. I thought it was going to be more like 50/50." That made me very proud of the UNC fan base.
 
Aug 13, 2025
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Does that mean I should not be allowed to buy a ticket on SeatGeek to an away NCAA tournament game if we were playing at say ECU in the Supers one year unless I wore purple into the stadium? I agree that is is not ideal, but if season ticket holders want to sell/give away/eat their tickets they are allowed to do so. Solution? Become a season ticket holder, rams club member, or be willing to pay on the secondary market what other people are willing to pay.
 

UNC76

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I once brought a work buddy that went to State College with me to a basketball game years ago. Yes he made an arse of himself. Learned my lesson well. I've never taken anybody that roots for the other team again.
Years ago, I asked a wolpfack co-worker if he wanted my extra ticket to attend an ACC tourney session. UNC was playing in the afternoon session, and his wolpfack was playing that night. I told him he could cheer as loudly as he wanted for his team, but my one request was he needed to refrain from any "Go to hell Carolina" chants, or any other UNC slurs. He couldn't comply, and never got another ticket from me,
 

JordanF0705

Freshman
Nov 6, 2025
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Does that mean I should not be allowed to buy a ticket on SeatGeek to an away NCAA tournament game if we were playing at say ECU in the Supers one year unless I wore purple into the stadium? I agree that is is not ideal, but if season ticket holders want to sell/give away/eat their tickets they are allowed to do so. Solution? Become a season ticket holder, rams club member, or be willing to pay on the secondary market what other people are willing to pay.
RC has 20k+ members… gotta be in the top 30% to even have a shot. And for out of towners, like myself, who live 3+ hours away, season tickets aren’t feasible to make mid week or even most Fri/Sun games due to work.

But as my earlier post pointed out, the Masters limits what ticket holders can do with their tickets. And pro teams recently have limited ticket purchases from certain zip codes. The capability is there for UNC to do so… but at the risk of upsetting donors and $$$$. So they won’t do it.

I get the argument “I bought my tickets, I can do what I want with them.”

but you should be able to find Carolina fans to fill the seats… not just throw them on secondary for 10x value
 

unctarheel1984

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I once brought a work buddy that went to State College with me to a basketball game years ago. Yes he made an arse of himself. Learned my lesson well. I've never taken anybody that roots for the other team again.
Or choose your friends more carefully. On a number of occasions for basketball, football and baseball games I have taken friends and been the friend. Never had a problem on either side of the equation.
 
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TarHeelColby10

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RC has 20k+ members… gotta be in the top 30% to even have a shot. And for out of towners, like myself, who live 3+ hours away, season tickets aren’t feasible to make mid week or even most Fri/Sun games due to work.

But as my earlier post pointed out, the Masters limits what ticket holders can do with their tickets. And pro teams recently have limited ticket purchases from certain zip codes. The capability is there for UNC to do so… but at the risk of upsetting donors and $$$$. So they won’t do it.

I get the argument “I bought my tickets, I can do what I want with them.”

but you should be able to find Carolina fans to fill the seats… not just throw them on secondary for 10x value
You can buy season tickets with very little investment, that’s worth it just for the postseason possibility. I don’t mean to be rude, but all the folks that complain about not having post season tickets could fix the issue with a very reasonable contribution to buy season tickets and you are guaranteed tickets for the post season. It’s simple, really.
 

TarHeelColby10

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Or choose your friends more carefully. On a number of occasions for basketball, football and baseball games I have taken friends and been the friend. Never had a problem on either side of the equation.
Wendell Murphy and family is one of my bigger clients, I’ve been to multiple UNC/Ncs games on his dime whether with them in the suite or tickets he’s given me. And there’s never been an issue, I honestly have never had an issue with an opposing fan, friend or not. Other than a Minnesota fan in Kenan a few years ago.
 

unc80

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Or choose your friends more carefully. On a number of occasions for basketball, football and baseball games I have taken friends and been the friend. Never had a problem on either side of the equation.
I've got some great friends that are fanatic for dook, wake, UVA and even state college. But I don't care to have them sit next to me while they pull for their team against mine. Can't understand how people can do that. Good thing I married a Tar Heel and made sure my kids were raised right. You do you though.
 

HudcoTrucking

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Aug 1, 2025
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Tickets are property. Ultimately people will figure out how to sell and buy them. I Got to attend a UNC/Duke game a few years ago in Chapel Hill that was extremely memorable. And one in Phoenix.

Those were resale tickets.

There is a market for them.
 

JordanF0705

Freshman
Nov 6, 2025
81
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You can buy season tickets with very little investment, that’s worth it just for the postseason possibility. I don’t mean to be rude, but all the folks that complain about not having post season tickets could fix the issue with a very reasonable contribution to buy season tickets and you are guaranteed tickets for the post season. It’s simple, really.
I would’ve agreed the last few years. But season tickets increased 40% from 2025 to 2026. Huge jump in price. I do agree with you - and if I could find someone that could use my reg szn tickets, I’m considering it for 2027.

but as mentioned in my previous post, out of towners would be investing in szn tickets for those seats to sit empty a majority of the reg szn just for the CHANCE to host a regional (which isn’t guaranteed - though it is 3 years in a row).
 
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UNC76

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But as my earlier post pointed out, the Masters limits what ticket holders can do with their tickets. And pro teams recently have limited ticket purchases from certain zip codes. The capability is there for UNC to do so… but at the risk of upsetting donors and $$$$. So they won’t do it.
Money talks, People don't pay thousands of dollars to pro franchises or the Masters every year for the right to purchase tickets. While some pay seat licenses for pro tickets, there are plenty of people ready to take their place if the tickets open up.

I found out the hard way that some schools do what you are suggesting... sort of. I occasionally have extra football and basketball tickets, and have been known to sell them on Seat Geek, in an attempt to recoup some of the ever-escalating cost of those season tickets. When I tried to buy tickets online for our baseball games at dook this year, they refused to sell them to me, saying I had been flagged as a "ticket reseller". They use the same ticketing software as UNC, apparently can see my transactions over the years, and I'm definitely not happy about that. However, I was able to purchase tickets on site on the day of the games. Their assistant ticket manager exchanged emails with me, which is how I found out why I was unable to purchase online tickets. dook hasn't received a penny from me, while UNC has received quite a bit of money. Something tells me dook wouldn't have flagged my account if I was an Iron dook member instead of Rams Club.
 

JordanF0705

Freshman
Nov 6, 2025
81
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Money talks, People don't pay thousands of dollars to pro franchises or the Masters every year for the right to purchase tickets. While some pay seat licenses for pro tickets, there are plenty of people ready to take their place if the tickets open up.

I found out the hard way that some schools do what you are suggesting... sort of. I occasionally have extra football and basketball tickets, and have been known to sell them on Seat Geek, in an attempt to recoup some of the ever-escalating cost of those season tickets. When I tried to buy tickets online for our baseball games at dook this year, they refused to sell them to me, saying I had been flagged as a "ticket reseller". They use the same ticketing software as UNC, apparently can see my transactions over the years, and I'm definitely not happy about that. However, I was able to purchase tickets on site on the day of the games. Their assistant ticket manager exchanged emails with me, which is how I found out why I was unable to purchase online tickets. dook hasn't received a penny from me, while UNC has received quite a bit of money. Something tells me dook wouldn't have flagged my account if I was an Iron dook member instead of Rams Club.
You’re 100% correct. $$$ talks.
 

AntNews?

All-Conference
Jul 27, 2025
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Money talks, People don't pay thousands of dollars to pro franchises or the Masters every year for the right to purchase tickets. While some pay seat licenses for pro tickets, there are plenty of people ready to take their place if the tickets open up.

I found out the hard way that some schools do what you are suggesting... sort of. I occasionally have extra football and basketball tickets, and have been known to sell them on Seat Geek, in an attempt to recoup some of the ever-escalating cost of those season tickets. When I tried to buy tickets online for our baseball games at dook this year, they refused to sell them to me, saying I had been flagged as a "ticket reseller". They use the same ticketing software as UNC, apparently can see my transactions over the years, and I'm definitely not happy about that. However, I was able to purchase tickets on site on the day of the games. Their assistant ticket manager exchanged emails with me, which is how I found out why I was unable to purchase online tickets. dook hasn't received a penny from me, while UNC has received quite a bit of money. Something tells me dook wouldn't have flagged my account if I was an Iron dook member instead of Rams Club.
Sounds like dook is on top of it. I buy tickets to UNC games at dook, wake and state all the time. Dook and Wake both call and email all the time and offer access to UNC games (they both have me flagged as primarily a UNC fan) while also trying to sell me other games/sports. They’re incredibly nice. Been in the rams club for nearly 20 years and never received so much as a check in or courtesy call from UNC about tickets.
 

110northstreet

Sophomore
Aug 3, 2025
83
197
33
RC has 20k+ members… gotta be in the top 30% to even have a shot. And for out of towners, like myself, who live 3+ hours away, season tickets aren’t feasible to make mid week or even most Fri/Sun games due to work.

But as my earlier post pointed out, the Masters limits what ticket holders can do with their tickets. And pro teams recently have limited ticket purchases from certain zip codes. The capability is there for UNC to do so… but at the risk of upsetting donors and $$$$. So they won’t do it.

I get the argument “I bought my tickets, I can do what I want with them.”

but you should be able to find Carolina fans to fill the seats… not just throw them on secondary for 10x value
every ticket that ever Vol or ECU fan bought on Stubhub or Seat Geek was available for purchase by a UNC fan, right? Those other schools don't have cheat codes or hacks that our fans don't have, do they? In the rare instance where I have extra tickets, I choose to give them to UNC fans. But that's my choice, not some obligation.
 

AntNews?

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I've got some great friends that are fanatic for dook, wake, UVA and even state college. But I don't care to have them sit next to me while they pull for their team against mine. Can't understand how people can do that. Good thing I married a Tar Heel and made sure my kids were raised right. You do you though.
Bingo. People act like sports is their only chance to socialize. Invite your moo, dook, ezu and app friends to a barbecue, concert or the lake or something, not a competitive postseason sporting event. If you’re entertaining clients, sure. That’s business. But just inviting friends to come sit AT THE GAME around UNC fans and cheer against the Tar Heels…lame.
 
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