Keep the Dean Dome, Upgrade It: UNC's Renovation Blueprint
UNC should renovate the Dean E. Smith Center rather than relocate, a plan supported by Roy Williams. The piece outlines a three-offseason upgrade while continuing to play at the Smith Center, including a new upper deck, expanded upper concourse, refreshed suites, restrooms, and concessions, plus a behind-the-arena locker-room building connected by an underground tunnel. Financing would come from higher ticket prices and new seat licenses, and the renovation would cost roughly half as much as a new arena. The plan preserves campus connectivity and avoids off-campus sites (e.g., Carmichael Arena, Horace Williams Airport, Bowles Lot), arguing renovation over relocation as the best path forward.