North Carolina greeted by mariachis and folklorico dancers

The first team to arrive in El Paso for Friday’s Sun Bowl game was greeted in true Borderland style.

A crowd surrounded the North Carolina football team as it landed at El Paso International airport this Sunday afternoon.

As the Tar Heels walked through the airport, they were greeted with Mariachi musicians and folklorica dancers.

It didn’t take long before the players, and their head coach, were taking part in the fun by singing and dancing.

Coach Larry Fedora was presented a sombrero and wore it as he was serenaded in Spanish.

One player said, “What’s she saying, coach?” Fedora laughingly answered back, “I don’t know.”

Fedora said El Paso’s welcome to Sun Bowl teams in well-known outside the Borderland.

“It was awesome. It was very festive. I know my guys really enjoyed it. They were really looking forward to it. They had heard about it, so they were really looking forward to it,” Fedora said.

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser was in the crowd surrounding the team at the airport.

“The city of El Paso, they are out here on Christmas Day because you mean a lot to them. For the next couple of days, we want you to really have a lot fun, enjoy yourself, but then on Friday, be ready to play football,” Leeser said.

North Carolina player J.K. Britt loved the welcome and is excited to explore the city.

“Me and my friends will probably go out and try to find some good food, some nice places to eat, some fun things to do. We really don’t know what to do yet. But we will get out, look around and do some sightseeing,” Britt said.

Sun Bowl queen Katherine Carroll-Miller will be one of the people showing the team around El Paso.

“We are hoping tomorrow will be just as much fun. We are excited and honored that they are here, especially giving up their holiday to be here,” Carroll-Miller said.

The team seemed to be in good spirits despite traveling on Christmas Day.

“They got to spend time with their families the last couple of days and this morning. We flew out this afternoon and now they are excited about getting out here and having a great experience in El Paso,” Fedora said.

Just before leaving the airport, the team and the crowd joined the singers for Felix Navidad.

Stanford and the University of North Carolina will face off in the 2016 Hyundai Sun Bowl.

The game will take place at noon Friday at the Sun Bowl.

Stanford is a member of the Pac-12 Conference’s North Division, UNC is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, or the ACC.