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Dean Smith Center

1986 establishments in North CarolinaBasketball venues in North CarolinaCollege basketball venues in the United StatesIndoor arenas in North CarolinaNorth Carolina Tar Heels basketball venues
Pages containing links to subscription-only contentSports venues completed in 1986Use mdy dates from June 2021
DeanDome behind
DeanDome behind

The Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center (commonly known as the Dean Smith Center, Smith Center, or the Dean Dome) is a multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, used primarily as the home for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels men's basketball team. The university began to inquire about building a standalone arena for the men's basketball team beginning in the mid-1970s, but due to an ongoing university wide investigation, the fundraiser halted until its conclusion. In June 1980, the fundraising began with a goal of at least $30 million and a target completion date for the building of December 1984. It was initially planned to be called the Student Activities Center; however, after its announcement it began to be referred to as The Dean Dome and it was speculated it would be named for then coach Dean Smith. The fundraising concluded in August 1984 with over $33 million raised, but construction would not be finished until 1986. The day before the opening game on January 18, 1986, against the Duke Blue Devils, the building was officially announced to be named the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, while a formal dedication happen later in September. In 2018, the hardwood floor of the Smith Center was named for then coach Roy Williams. Land was cleared in a wooded ravine on the southern part of campus and necessitated 20,000 cubic yards (15,000 m3) of rock to be dynamited out. The building is 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) and build on 8 acres (3.2 ha) and contains three levels. There are two levels for seating, an upper and lower level, from which the furthest viewing distance is 675 feet (206 m). The Dean Dome has been renovated several times since its opening which has included the likes of new video boards, video ribbon along the upper level edge, seats, lighting, and sound. In addition, the locker rooms and office space have all been upgraded. Throughout the years the capacity has been adjusted through the removal of box seating for traditional seating and the addition of a standing student section behind one of the goals. The future of the arena is questioned due to a variety of issues stemming from a narrow concourse, limited storage, and a desire to have premium seating to earn more revenue. The issue is further complicated by the fact the Smith Center was privately funded and the seats paid for by the initial donors carry two full generations, which limits any possible renovation, but could be circumvented by building a new arena. Through the 2021–22 season, the Tar Heels have played 37 seasons in the Dean Smith Center and have earned over 450 victories and under 100 losses. Despite their home success, the crowd has often been criticized for being dull and un–involved, which has been credited to the seating arrangement created by the above–mentioned donors which has limited the ability of the students to use the lower level and create noise. In addition to basketball, the venue has been used to host several concerts, graduations, sporting events, and a speech by Barack Obama when campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Dean Smith Center (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Dean Smith Center
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N 35.899722222222 ° E -79.043888888889 °
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Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center

Skipper Bowles Drive
27599
North Carolina, United States
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Woollen Gymnasium
Woollen Gymnasium

The Charles T. Woollen Gymnasium (commonly known as the Woollen Gymnasium or Woollen) was the home of North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team from January 2, 1939, through February 27, 1965, across twenty-six seasons. Due to increased demand for viewing the varsity basketball team and limited capacity at then home court the Tin Can, school president Frank Porter Graham and Charles T. Woollen requested public funds for a new gymnasium and women's dormitory. After being rejected at the federal level, the North Carolina Public Works would award a grant of $283,090 to build a new gymnasium and the school would have to fundraise to cover the cost's remainder. The plans for the building included multi–level building that included an attached swimming pool, along with a main lobby that would overlook the main gymnasium area. Aside from varsity basketball, the building was used for physical education classes, recreational activity for students, and office spaces. Construction stretched from 1937 to 1938 and, upon completion, was seen as "modern" and one of the highest–quality basketball facilities in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The gym was first used competitively for intramural fencing in the spring of 1938. The Tar Heels had great success in the building, winning several conference championships and even winning the national championship to culminate a perfect season in 1956–57. As the Tar Heels increased in popularity and demand increased, Woollen began to be viewed as small. The university began moving some of its home games to Charlotte or Greensboro to allow for more to attend and bring in more revenue. The Tar Heels left for Carmichael Auditorium before the start of the 1965–66 season, an auditorium that was built attached to Woollen as per stipulated by the funds awarded by the North Carolina legislature. After the Tar Heels' departure, the facility was frequently used for course registration, pick–up basketball, and now the Exercise and Sports Science department is based in the building.

Carmichael Arena
Carmichael Arena

William Donald Carmichael, Jr. Arena (formerly known as Carmichael Auditorium and commonly known as Blue Heaven) is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. It is home to four Tar Heels athletic teams: women's basketball, volleyball, women's gymnastics, and wrestling. It is named for William Donald Carmichael, Jr., a popular former school vice-president and brother of All-America basketball player Cartwright Carmichael. Although there had been concerns as early as the late 1940s that the men's basketball team's needed a new home to replace 6,000-seat Woollen Gymnasium, the need for a larger arena had become acute by the 1960s with the team's growing popularity. The Tar Heels were forced to move home games to Charlotte or Greensboro, which were more than double Woollen's size. However, the state was unwilling to fund a completely new arena. As a result, Carmichael Auditorium was built as an annex to Woollen; it shares the older facility's eastern wall. It originally seated just over 8,800 people, but was expanded to 10,000 seats in 1976.Carmichael was known as one of the loudest arenas in the country while the Tar Heel men played there, largely because of a low roof and a student section that ringed the court. In part due to this formidable home court advantage, the men had a record of 169–20 (.894) in just over 20 seasons there. Dean Smith was the Tar Heels' coach for their entire tenure in Carmichael. The Tar Heels won their second NCAA title in 1981–82, while playing at the arena. In their last game at Carmichael, the North Carolina Tar Heels beat the North Carolina State Wolfpack 90–79 on January 4, 1986. The team moved to the Dean Smith Center two weeks later. After a remodeling project completed in 2009, capacity is 8,010. A new floor was installed in 1998, after a roof fire that occurred in February during renovations. The arena was completely remodeled beginning in spring 2008, and the women's team joined the men in the Dean Smith Center until completion in December 2009. The facility was officially renamed Carmichael Arena during the women's team's matchup against rival Duke on February 28, 2010.