Roy Williams is leading the charge to keep the Smith Center right where it belongs

It's well-known that the University of North Carolina is exploring options to build improved facilities for the UNC basketball program.

There are a few options that they have been exploring, including renovating the current building while also toying with the idea of building a brand-new arena in the area that is called Carolina North.

Plenty of people don't want to see the Dean E. Smith Center, the home of the UNC basketball program for the past 40 seasons, to move. With such iconic moments tied to this historic venue, many who have either played or coached for the program would prefer that the university goes with the idea of renovating what they currently have in place.

The noise about moving to Carolina North continues to grow, especially given the financial benefits it would bring to the university. While the university aims to expand in this area, plenty are still fighting for the future of the Smith Center, including Smith's protégé.

Roy Williams is leading the charge!

On social media, accounts titled "Smith Center South" have emerged. This group is focused on ensuring that the Smith Center remains where it is, honoring the wishes of Dean E. Smith himself.

To help lead the charge, Roy Williams narrated a video, showing how strongly he supports renovating the Smith Center.

Dean Smith's wish

Smith and Williams developed an extremely close relationship, one that Williams still honors to this day. In the video, Williams mentions how Smith's reasoning for moving the UNC basketball program out of Carmichael Arena was to get them on campus, a move that brought them closer to the heart of the student population.

Although Smith isn't here to rally for keeping the Smith Center where it currently resides, Williams is carrying the torch to ensure that Smith's wishes are honored.

How can you help?

On the Renovate the Smith Center website, Coach Smith's desires were discussed:

One of Coach Smith’s desires, communicated to his family and to Coach Williams, was to never let Carolina Basketball be moved off south campus. We wish to honor Dean Smith’s request that our cherished basketball venue “always remain on [south] campus” – a view shared by Coach Roy Williams and most Tar Heel basketball alumni. Keeping basketball at the heart of campus, on south campus, is the right decision for our students, our alumni, our school and the legacy of the Carolina men’s basketball program and all who love it.

There's a petition brewing where you can support the renovation, not the relocation, of the Dean E. Smith Center. If you'd like to contribute, please go to the link below to sign the petition!

Renovate the Smith Center Petition

Let's do the right thing and save the Dean E. Smith Center!