GLENDALE, Ariz. — About 90 minutes before tipoff of Monday’s NCAA title game between North Carolina and Gonzaga, a line of white shirt-clad students started to file into UNC’s student section.

This wasn’t a coordinated whiteout of the floor-level section at University of Phoenix Stadium. In fact, these weren’t even North Carolina students.

UNC had failed to sell out its student section for Monday’s game, so nearby Arizona State volunteered to help … and to cheer.

“ASU got us tickets for free because UNC didn’t sell out their student section,” Cory Nelson said. “So, they gave it to student organizations. I’ve got a buddy who works for athletics, and he sent me the link.”

Nelson is a senior at ASU, and he made the 26-mile trip from Tempe to Glendale with four of his friends. He said that they were given little instructions besides wear white.

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

“It can’t be any other school, and it can’t be ASU. So, just plain white,” Nelson said.

Still, there were times when the ASU fandom couldn’t stay disguised. During a TV timeout, an ASU infomercial aired on the stadium’s videoboard. The ASU students, accounting for more than 70 percent of the section, held up the Sun Devils’ “Fork ‘Em” hand signal and cheered.

“I’m here representing ASU, and I’m excited to be here,” Mitch Johnston said. “This was a huge surprise. I didn’t know what to do yesterday when I realized it. But I was like, ‘Alright, I’m about it. I can’t miss this opportunity.'”

This wasn’t the first time this has happened at a Final Four. In 2011, Rice and University of Houston students were enlisted to fill out the student sections at the title game. But they didn’t seem to hide their school affiliation.

The ASU students weren’t instructed to cheer for North Carolina, but for one night, these Sun Devils decided to lend a new allegiance to UNC.

“I came into the game thinking I’d maybe cheer for the Zags because they’re West Coast, but since I’m here and the energy is here, I’m excited and going for the Tar Heels,” Johnston said.

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports