As discussion around the potential relocation of the UNC men’s basketball program away from the Dean Smith Center heats up, one notable voice has spoken up in favor of the 40-year-old arena: Hall of Fame head coach Roy Williams.
In a video posted on Instagram Monday night, Williams reflected on his time in the arena and conversations with his mentor, head coach Dean Smith.
View this post on Instagram
“I’m very much in favor of staying here in the Smith Center,” the 75-year-old Williams said. “Remodeling, renovating, whatever we need to do. I do not want to go off campus.
“I was Coach Smith’s assistant for ten years. We had many discussions about basketball, about life, about the golf course, everything. But I do know, during the conversation about what to get out of this building… that Coach Smith wanted this place on campus. That was his wish. There was no question. And he even told me one day that after he was dead and gone, it was up to me to fight to keep it on campus.”
At the end of Williams’ message, the words “Renovate Don’t Relocate” appear, along with a link to the website renovatesmithcenter.org. The site includes a petition with more than 400 signatures.
“We do not support the move of the Smith Center and our historic Carolina men’s basketball program off campus,” reads the website. “We believe the best and only option for the future of Tar Heel men’s basketball is to remain on campus at a renovated and improved Dean E. Smith Center – where we have won 500 games and celebrated 40 years of memories.”
The website compares estimates for the cost of building a new arena (“at least $800 million”) and the cost of renovating the Smith Center (“less than $400 million”), and points to programs such as Kansas, Kentucky and Duke which “successfully renovated aging arenas.” Notably, the website uses NC State’s program as an example of a failed relocation to a large, off-campus arena. The Wolfpack vacated the on-campus Reynolds Coliseum for a newer, multi-purpose arena – today known as the Lenovo Center – in 1999.
“Many leaders at NC State say that move harmed the program,” reads the website, without going into any more detail.
UNC recently won its 500th game at the Smith Center, and Jan. 18 marked the building’s 40th birthday. The program’s four decades in the arena are the most it has ever spent in one venue. Carolina played in Carmichael Auditorium for 21 years and Woollen Gymnasium for 26. Head coach Hubert Davis has been vocal in his support for the Smith Center, calling it “home base” in a press conference earlier this season. Williams coached all of his 18 seasons with the Tar Heels in the Smith Center, and the court was officially named in his honor in 2018.
In recent years, critics of the building have noted its aging infrastructure, lack of premium amenities, crowded concourse and awkward placement geographically as reasons to potentially relocate the men’s basketball program. In 2024, the school was presented with six options for the future of the building, one of which was a complete renovation of the existing structure. That option would require the team to play at an off-site facility during the process.
But the option which seems to have generated the most interest within the UNC administration is an off-campus arena on the “Carolina North” property, a wooded area near the former Horace Williams Airport at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Estes Drive. Numerous alumni, including players and non-players, have voiced their opposition. The Raleigh News & Observer reported in December that a group known as “Tar Heels Concerned for the Future of the Dean E. Smith Center and Carolina Basketball” sent an open letter to UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts opposing any move off campus.
“Life should not be measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away,” Williams said in his Instagram video, quoting one of his trademark “Thoughts of the Day.” “And the Smith Center, and North Carolina basketball in the Smith Center, has taken many people and taken their breath away… I hope that’s where we stay forever.”
Featured image via Todd Melet
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
‘Renovate Don’t Relocate’: Roy Williams Joins Petition to Keep UNC Basketball at Dean Smith Center Chapelboro.com.
Hence then, the article about renovate don t relocate roy williams joins petition to keep unc basketball at dean smith center was published today ( ) and is available on chapelboro ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( ‘Renovate Don’t Relocate’: Roy Williams Joins Petition to Keep UNC Basketball at Dean Smith Center )
Also on site :