RURAL HALL, N.C. — A Rural Hall man and his son are going to the UNC versus Duke game Saturday. They got tickets to the game before they even knew who was playing.
Michael Moore and his 16-year-old son are heading to New Orleans to watch their Carolina Tar Heels take on the Duke Blue Devils. What’s interesting is how they ended up getting these tickets.
Moore said he lives by this rule of thumb, “I always said it’s Jesus first, family second, and Carolina basketball third. And it depends on who the family is whether Carolina moves up the ranking.”
He and his family are diehard UNC Tar Heel fans, taking their son to games ever since he was born. They've met many stars along the way, including Roy Williams and Dean Smith.
Every time we go to the Smith Center it’s special," Moore said. "It’s a special place. It’s family, it’s a Carolina family.”
Last year, Moore applied for the NCAA ticket lottery to attend this year's NCAA semifinals game in New Orleans.
Moore said he forgot he entered into the lottery drawing because they paid for the tickets last April. It was September 2021 when he found out he was selected to go.
At that time, he had no idea who would be playing in the Final Four but knew the experience would be exciting.
Then, the UNC Tar Heels secured their spot, and Moore was beside himself.
“It really is like winning the lottery and probably to me, being a huge Carolina fan, it’s better than winning the lottery,” Moore said.
He said he is taking his son with him to New Orleans to see history unfold.
“It’s the first time Carolina and Duke have ever played in an NCAA tournament," Moore said. "It’s almost a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I can’t explain how excited. We are such a Carolina family. And to be able to share it with my son is a really great experience.”
Moore and his son head to New Orleans Thursday for the game.