New ‘Arena Discussion’ episodes will address evolution of Smith Center, Carolina basketball success

A new special edition segment of the “Carolina Insider” podcast will address the evolution of Carolina Basketball and ongoing discussions regarding the Dean E. Smith Center.

“The Arena Discussion” podcast segment, hosted by Jones Angell and Adam Lucas, will include various guests discussing the future home of Tar Heel basketball. Chancellor Lee H. Roberts and Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham join for the first episode, which addresses the fundamental question: Why are we talking about this?

The Smith Center needs significant investment to keep it operational, ranging from a new roof and updated bathrooms to concessions and meeting accessibility standards.

“The world is changing rapidly around us, more so than in the past. That presents a challenge for a program like ours, because the best thing about our program is the incredible history and tradition we have,” Roberts said. “Nobody else can touch the legacy of Carolina basketball, but that incredible legacy can sometimes make it hard to react as quickly as you need to when the world is changing.”

According to Roberts and Cunningham, there are three principles guiding what Carolina needs in a basketball arena:

• Upholding the legacy and long-term success of Carolina basketball is paramount. That success was one of the reasons the Smith Center was built. The program has grown steadily over the past century, moving from the Tin Can to Woollen Gym to Carmichael Arena before occupying the Smith Center.
• Winning as many basketball games as possible and engaging students to provide an unmatched homecourt advantage by ensuring Carolina has a great recruiting environment and top-notch facilities for players, coaches and staff. This includes the arena itself and the practice gym, training center, sports medicine and recovery spaces, the locker room, film room and more. Roberts noted that student attendance at the Smith Center has been declining for 20 years. “This program belongs to our students. It’s their program; it’s their team. We want more students in the arena closer to the court, making it a tough place to play, giving the students a reason to come to the games and cheer loudly for the Heels,” Roberts said. “What makes an arena a tough place to play is the students close to the court standing up and hollering. Having more students in the lower bowl, closer to the court, would not only make it more fun for our students but help our competitive advantage.”
• Maintaining a great fan experience. In a world where there are many alternatives for watching sports, Carolina needs to deliver the most entertaining experience for fans every day that can compete with those other options, like staying home.

Roberts and Cunningham acknowledged they could have done a better job staying connected with the Carolina basketball community over the past year. Stakeholder groups comprised of former players, students and donors are meeting to listen and inform the decision-making process. They hope listening sessions, ongoing since December, will help right that misstep, as will sharing more facts and information on “Carolina Insider.”

“It’s not just an economic decision. We need to take more time because there’s an emotional component to this, a logical component to it, and there’s a financial component to it,” Cunningham said. “Let’s get more information and more input from the constituents who are going to use the building, whether it’s the players or students. Let’s make sure we come as a unified community on what’s best for Carolina basketball.”

The Tar Heels played at Woollen Gymnasium from 1939 to 1965, winning a national title in 1957, before moving to Carmichael Arena.

Carolina played in Carmichael from 1965 until January 1986. Carmichael’s history contains memories like Walter Davis’ game-tying jumper against Duke University in 1974. Davis, uncle of current men’s basketball head coach Hubert Davis, forced overtime, after an eight-point comeback in the final 17 seconds. The Heels went on to win the game, 96-92. Michael Jordan, who listed Walter Davis as one of his favorite players, played his entire college career at Carmichael, twice earning national player of the year honors.

The Smith Center has 40 years of memories, filled with buzzer-beater wins and 40 games against Duke within its walls. It has been home to Tar Heel teams that won four national titles. The Carolina fanbase wasn’t necessarily onboard with the move from Carmichael, in the heart of campus, to the Smith Center at the far end of South Campus in the mid-1980s.

“College sports are changing rapidly, and we have to figure out a way to stay true to our best traditions and honor our legacy while we continue to adapt,” Roberts said. “I didn’t know Coach Smith, I wish I did, but when I read about his legacy, that’s exactly what he did. Whether it was racial integration, the four corners offense or moving out of Carmichael to the Smith Center when circumstances called for it, Coach Smith was an innovator. And he responded effectively to how the world of college sports and college basketball was changing around him to make sure Carolina stayed at the forefront. That’s the legacy we need to fulfill.”

Podcast episodes will be released regularly on Wednesdays. More information and ways to listen are available on the Carolina Insider page and on YouTube.