On Tuesday, Eric Church released a statement via Ticketmaster letting fans know he was cancelling his sold-out show at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday in favor of attending the men's NCAA tournament Final Four showdown between his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels and the University of
With an album titled Carolina and songs full of lyrics reminiscing about his home town of Granite Falls, the country star has never been one to shy away from proclaiming loyalty to the state of North Carolina. Fans hailing from other places never seemed to be bothered by Church's devotion.
To a die-hard UNC fan, the choice to prioritize the first Final Four meeting in tournament history between the two storied programs seems like a no-brainer. The choice seems reasonable to a college basketball fan. But to a country music fan who already booked a flight and hired a babysitter for their chance to hear Church sing live? Not much.
My family and I are going to stand together to support the Tar Heels as they play in the Final Four. I have watched Carolina and Duke battle over the years but to have them in the Final Four for the first time in history of the NCAA Tournament is a dream come true for any sports enthusiast.
The Choir was asked to give up their Saturday night plans so that I could have this moment with my family and sports community. It is the same type of passion felt by the people who fill the seats at our concerts that makes us want to be a part of the crowd. Woody Durham always said, "Go where you go and do what you do."
An automatic refund notice was included with the message sent to ticket holders. Fans pointed out that Church should have foreseen the possibility of UNC making a deep tournament run and that he needs to honor his prior commitment.
This is a good time to spread some wisdom that avid sports fans know to be true: No scheduling major life events during March Madness.
Don't do it.