William Snead/ECHO
I’ve been to the Dean E. Smith Center at least 150 times. Each time I enter, I walk to my seat, sit down, and look up. The ceiling of the Smith Center holds more history than most college basketball arenas could ever hope for. Seven national championship banners sway slowly, pushed by air from blue vents. If I turn around, I see the jerseys of legends. Michael Jordan, Antawn Jamison, Tyler Hansbrough. The walls of the building echo with history.
I witnessed Marcus Paige’s winning layup against Louisville in 2015. I saw Michael Jordan’s “ceiling is the roof” speech. I sat in awe as RJ Davis scored 40 against Miami. The memories of the Smith Center are unrivaled. As the University continues to look into the future home of Carolina basketball, I can’t help but be saddened at the thought of losing such a historic building.
For thousands of students, it’s where they fell in love with Carolina Basketball. For alumni, it’s a place that holds decades of memories with friends and family. And for fans from all over the state, it’s a pilgrimage to the holy land of college basketball. The Smith Center isn’t just a building – it’s a tradition. It’s where generations have come together to cheer, to celebrate, and sometimes, to cry.
Sure, I have my issues with the stadium. There’s no reason that in 2025 we’re doing our business in long metal troughs. The concourse is skinny, and concessions leave a lot to be desired. And modern arenas rely on luxury seating, which the Smith Center severely lacks. Can’t they fix that, though? Is it really worth destroying all of this history simply because they would make more money somewhere else?
Charles Kuralt gave a speech for the University’s bicentennial in 1993. He famously asked, “what is it that binds us to this place as it does to no other? It is not the well or the bell or the stone walls…. Nor even Dean Smith, though we are proud of what he did last March. No, our love for this place is based on the fact that it is as it was meant to be: the University of the people.”
Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to have been left in the 90s. It’s rumored that a new basketball arena would cut student seating back from 3,000 to 2,000. The arena would be further from campus, down a steep hill. This is not a pro-people or pro-student set up.
This year will be the Dean Dome’s 40th season, and it’s showing its age. The roof is leaking, and a replacement will cost up to $100 million. At that point, why not just update the whole building? Renovate the concourses, restrooms and concession stands. Rip out part of the upper deck and add some luxury seating. The Smith Center is Carolina Basketball, just as much as the number 23, the argyle on the jerseys, or Jump Around before tip off. It’s worth saving, lest the echos of the Dean Dome be silenced for good.