Fans holding tickets to see Eric Church's Gather Again Tour stop at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, got a surprise from the Chief this week — a cancellation.

Church sent out a message to his fan club, the Church Choir, informing them that he was canceling the April 2 show. Tour stop cancellations and postponements haven't been uncommon in the last two years, but this one was not related to COVID-19. Instead, Church will be attending the NCAA Men's Final Four matchup between Duke and North Carolina in New Orleans.

"This Saturday, my family and I are going to stand together to cheer on the Tar Heels as the team has made it to the Final Four," he writes to his fans. "As a lifelong Carolina basketball fan, I've watched Carolina and Duke battle over the years, but to have them matchup in the Final Four for the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament is any sports enthusiast's dream."

The "Heart on Fire" singer noted how important a moment like this with his family is to him. He also made sure to acknowledge that his decision is selfish.

"This is also the most selfish thing I've ever asked the Choir to do: to give up your Saturday night plans with us so that I can have this moment with my family and sports community. However, it's that same type of passion felt by the people who fill the seats at our concerts that makes us want to be part of a crowd at a game of this significance."

As of now the show will not be made up on a later date. The letter said all purchased tickets will be refunded and no action is required on fans' behalf.

While some fans tweeted their support of Church's decision — praising him for his loyalty to the Tar Heels — others pointed out the lengths fans sometimes go to in attending a show. A few Choir members chimed in saying they had already purchased airfare and lodging so they could see the Chief perform.

Top 50 Eric Church Songs: His Greatest Hits and Best Deep Cuts

Eric Church’s best song fall into rows. There’s the sullen heartbreakers and the grateful lovers. There are the snarling social statements and buoyant bops. OK, there are only a couple of buoyant bops on this list of Church's 50 greatest songs, but they exist. 

He's been known to sample R-Rated burners and sage truth-tellers — and then there are two songs about murder. So, Eric Church’s songs fall into rows, but there are a lot of rows in his 15-year catalog. 

His best song? Taste of Country asked fans, staff and the industry to weigh in and then looked at chart success, sales data pop culture importance to choose No. 1 from No. 50. Songs with strong lyrical content rank high. Songs with creative production rank high. Songs with both ended up in the Top 5. 

More From 98.1 The Hawk