Carolina Basketball | UNC officials are considering 6 options for the future of the Smith Center, some off campus

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) — As 10th-ranked North Carolina prepares for what it hopes will be another deep postseason run, university officials are pondering the future of the Dean E. Smith Center.

“My freshman year, when we lived in the dorm, which is right next to the stadium, I went to every home game. It was amazing,” said sophomore Casey Hinckley.

“I could just walk 10 minutes and we’d have a great basketball team. It’s a wonderful environment. So many people are into gaming, so it’s great to just go out there and have a great time,” the sophomore added. Khush Patel.

The arena, which has hosted the men’s team and hosted a series of events and concerts since opening in 1986, was once considered the crown jewel of college basketball. But almost four decades later, it’s in need of an update.

The school is considering six options. One will retain the existing structure with renovations, while the other will see a complete rebuild, albeit on the same site.

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The other two options would keep the arena on campus, albeit in different locations: one in the Bowles parking lot (next to the current Smith Center) and the other in Odum Village.

The last two options are considered the most radical: moving the arena off campus to either The Friday Center or Carolina North.

“Anyone on campus can walk there in 10 to 15 minutes. So if he goes off campus, that will be another hurdle to overcome to get to the games,” said sophomore Prajwal Biradar.

“My freshman year, I went to a Duke game. I was lucky enough to get a ticket and was thrilled. I thought, “I need to go to this game.” And I had one of the best moments of my life. So if it was off campus, it would definitely be more difficult,” Patel added.

UNC Senior Associate Director of Athletics Rick Steinbacher gave a presentation to the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Board on Wednesday about the project. A university spokesperson said there were no updates to share; ABC 11 has requested a copy of the slides.

If the arena is moved off campus, the university plans to provide busing for up to 3,000 students to each game. Separately, the school notes that the 16,000-seat arena will accommodate all seats, which is significantly less than the current capacity of 21,750 students. That capacity makes the Smith Center the fourth-largest college basketball arena in the country, behind Syracuse, Kentucky and Louisville.

“The feeling of having a stadium so big and in such a convenient location is truly a unique experience. You and all your friends can go to every basketball game for four years, which is not something most people can do. just do it because it’s expensive,” Hinckley said.

Last season, UNC had the highest average attendance of any school in the country, and clothing stores on Franklin Street were able to capitalize on the rush.

“I think it speaks to the Carolina brand and what they’ve built and their success,” said Parker Smith, CEO of newly opened DyeHard Fan Supply.

Students and fans stopped by Thursday to check out the merchandise, and Smith notes the excitement game days can bring across all sports.

“It’s so cool that all of their sites are on campus, ingrained in the campus. People are walking down the street, whether it’s Franklin Street, walking around campus. They may not even know there’s a game going on, but they stumble upon something like that,” Smith said.