UNC Basketball's Smith Center: Renovate or Replace?

0:00From Durham, this is your March 9th update. A thrilling last-second three-pointer by Seth Trimble just beat Duke and added to University of North Carolina basketball's rich legacy at the Dean, Smith Center. Now there's a big debate about the Arena's future, renovate the 38-year-old building, or build something new to match today's game. The Smith Center opened in 1986 as a massive 21,000-seat dome, but arena designs have evolved. Modern ones offer better sightlines, flexibility for concerts, energy efficiency, and easier navigation, ditching the old, bigger-is-better mindset. Legends like former coach Roy Williams and all-time score, Tyler Hansbro, push for repairs to keep the nostalgia alive. Many ex-players and top donors agree, wanting to preserve the site's history close to campus. Proposes include a new spot at Carolina North a couple miles away for cost savings, or the ideal middle ground at Odin Village, a 14-acre, dormant site, on main campus.

1:01That avoids disruptions and boosts year-round use. Basketball itself is changing fast, with transfers, name-image, likeness, money, betting, and potential NBA shifts. A flexible new arena honors Dean Smith's adaptability, better than patching up a relic from another era. This story is made possible by our sponsor, See the episode description. A pillow that plays your sound quietly, comfortably, effortlessly, built for nighttime listening, S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com.