UNC Basketball: 5 bold predictions for UNC in the new decade
By Carson Brown
The University of North Carolina finalizes plans for a new arena
Talks of revamping Dean Smith Center, or building a new arena, have been in talks for years in Chapel Hill. The current arena ranks fourth in the NCAA for capacity among the whole country with a capacity of 21,750.
At the end of the day, that much seating isn’t necessary for a college basketball team. The arena has no suite level which Is crazy for a program as prestigious as North Carolina. The Dean Dome was built in 1986 and should be redone. UNC has created a brand of excellence and greatness over the last few decades, and the basketball team should have the highest quality of facilities.
In 2019, North Carolina ranked third in the country for attendance even with its current run-down arena. The arena comes equipped with history and culture, but it’s time this program gets what it’s earned.
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham has made his voice clear that he plans on making the necessary renovations, but that it was years away. Over the next decade, expect the changes to be made. Not only would it give the team a beautiful looking new facility to play at and house its fans, but Tar Heel games but it would allow UNC to use it as a way to recruit going forward. They could advertise to recruits that they would get to be the first to write the story in the arena — as well as all of the new amenities that would come with it — and that would be a strong selling point.