We're fighting to keep the Dean E. Smith Center where it belongs — on South Campus, at the heart of Carolina. Don’t separate the heartbeat from the heart.
Joined December 2025
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No Summer Break For Our Movement
The students have gone home, a new basketball coach is working the roster, the graduates have been inspired by Eric Church and the Administration’s Carolina North arena agenda is “on hold” with all options remaining on the table. Your Committee for a South Campus Arena is still here and continues to represent the 40,000 Tar Heels who say Renovate, Innovate and Don’t Relocate.
Most recently, we have moved from our basketball legacy and finance defenses to the vision of the Village At South Campus that will connect isolated South Campus to our historic Main Campus and will address many of the long underserved communities surrounding the Smith Center. The outcry to “Renovate, Don’t Relocate” has been heard across the Carolina universe, and the administration’s financial site comparisons have been openly acknowledged as incomplete and misleading. The renovation and alternative sites have not been fully vetted.
Below you will find copies of our ads placed in the Daily Tar Heel over the last month offering visualization of the possibilities for a South Campus connection. These are conceptual renderings subject to greater evaluation and are certainly subject to change. The concepts do, however, address many of the amenity positions promoted for Carolina North while remaining on campus and offering a far greater service to these South Campus communities of students, fans, Kenan Flagler and the UNC Hospital employees and staff. They offer additional housing, parking and numerous services for many, including basketball fans. We also offer the seating for 20,000 fans – not a reduction from the Smith Center’s current capacity – and place students strategically near the court. We have not overlooked the need for revenue acceleration as part of a master plan.
A fundamental component of the Village, of course, is the renovation of the Smith Center as the continuing anchor of South Campus, knitting the various sports venues (Kenan Stadium, Fetzer Field, Boshamer Stadium, Carmichael Arena, Shelton Stadium) all together for an easy stroll. We submit that if the Administration is intent on spending a billion dollars for an arena alone and reducing capacity by 5,000 seats at Carolina North, we offer the Village as a far better use of taxpayer dollars and our University funds. Imagine innovation!
We invite you – our partners in this effort – to engage with us as we continue our march to Renovate, Innovate and Don’t Relocate!
Committee For A South Campus Arena
RenovateSmithCenter.org
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Apr 24
And it’s a bad look on those in the athletic department that were hopping on podcasts to “discuss” the topic, when really they were veiled attempts to sell the relocation concept. Their agenda was obvious in those episodes. Deceptive and disappointing at best.
A public records request by the New York Times and News & Observer uncovered a covert and coordinated effort to force a move of the Dean Dome to North Campus without involving key stakeholders. If Dean Dome on Campus North is so great, why the cloak-and-dagger operations?
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A public records request by the New York Times and News & Observer uncovered a covert and coordinated effort to force a move of the Dean Dome to North Campus.
(Link in comments. Instagram link in bio.)
#UNC #DeanDome #RenovateDontRelocate #DeanSmithCenter #Tarheels
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UNC basketball arena plan neared launch before backlash halted Carolina North push by Shelby Swanson April 21, 2026
Chapel Hill
Plans for a new home for UNC men’s basketball — mapped out months ago with detailed timelines, messaging strategies and a December announcement — were far more advanced than previously known, according to thousands of pages of documents obtained by The News & Observer through a public records request.
What those records reveal is a months-long, highly coordinated push by university leadership to move the program from the Dean E. Smith Center’s current location on South Campus to a new, potentially $800 million arena at Carolina North — and how, in a matter of weeks, that effort unraveled under mounting public pressure.
The documents show UNC officials had identified Carolina North — a university-owned plot of land roughly two miles north of main campus — as the location for its new basketball arena by last November. The arena was set to be the centerpiece of a sweeping expansion plan at Carolina North — the largest increase to UNC’s campus since it was chartered in 1789.
In January, chancellor Lee Roberts launched the Carolina North plan and asked UNC’s Board of Trustees for $8 million to begin the process. No basketball arena was included in that proposal, as was originally planned.
That was a result of public pushback that coalesced quickly in December.
A Dec. 12 letter opposing an off-campus move drew signatures from across UNC’s power structure: former coach Roy Williams and his wife, Wanda; multiple members of the Maye family (Luke, Drake, Mark); former athletics director Dick Baddour; and former UNC System president Erskine Bowles, among others. Former Tar Heel players who signed the letter include Billy Cunningham, Danny Green, George Lynch, Luke Maye, Ty Lawson, James Worthy and Tyler Hansbrough.
The group called themselves Tar Heels Concerned for the Future of the Dean E. Smith Center and Carolina Basketball and wrote that, as stakeholders, they felt they had “not been included to date in any known process.”
Athletic director Bubba Cunningham has said publicly, on multiple occasions, that he feels UNC leadership “dropped the ball” on basketball arena suggestions and engaging stakeholders. This new documentation helps shed a light on where North Carolina went wrong.
UNC’s plan to unveil Carolina North arena. The planning by UNC leadership, according to internal documents, extended well beyond broad concepts.
By early November, leadership had begun drafting announcement strategies, identifying key stakeholders and “alumni influencers,” and preparing for potential questions for the public.
A Nov. 7, 2025 email from senior associate AD Rick Steinbacher, labeled “A DRAFT CONCEPT TO STIMULATE DISCUSSIONS ONLY,” laid out a three-phase rollout for a announcing new arena at Carolina North.
The first step was a pre-announcement “quiet phase” focused on aligning power brokers — from UNC system leadership to top donors and local town officials — while “minimizing surprises” ahead of a public reveal. It also called for strategically seeding the narrative through embargoed interviews with local outlets, and leaning on prominent alumni like Roy Williams and Phil Ford to help with “behind-the-scenes” talking points. A drafted list at the bottom of that email included basketball alumni including Green, Michael Jordan, Hansbrough, Theo Pinson and Marcus Ginyard. Green, Hansbrough and Williams all later signed the Dec. 12opposition letter, with Williams and Hansbrough later filming viral videos in support of keeping the arena on campus.
After the planned “quiet phase,” plans included a full-scale launch: a keynote event with Roberts and Cunningham as speakers, a video reveal with the tagline “From Dean to Dream,” Carolina .
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Carolina Club watch parties in multiple cities, and personalized outreach to the top 500 seat-license holders.
By late November, UNC athletics leadership and Rams Club leadership had circulated a document titled “Carolina North Announcement: For a mid-December 2025 announcement of the Carolina North development and new home of Carolina Basketball.” As UNC moved toward that announcement, this new documentation shows a parallel effort: preparing for the announcement itself, as well as backlash some expected would come with the news.
The “Carolina North Announcement” plan included a recommendation for university-wide scenario-planning before Dec. 10 to game out everything from media leaks and donor resistance to faculty petitions, legislative questions and student protests. At the center of UNC’s preparation was a detailed messaging guide dubbed the “song sheet” by Dean Stoyer, the university’s vice chancellor for communications. It was designed, Stoyer wrote, in an email to UNC leadership, to “ensure that there is consistency in all of the varied conversations that will be taking place.”
Managing public talking points
Documentation shows that UNC officials such as incoming athletics director Steve Newmark worked over Thanksgiving weekend to refine the document and update talking points. The messaging was firm: Carolina North provides a stronger path than renovating the Smith Center.
But, very soon, the carefully constructed messaging operation would be overtaken by the very backlash it was designed to manage.
For now, the future of the Dean E. Smith Center — whether it’s renovated, replaced on campus or moved to Carolina North — remains unresolved and paused amid the transition from Hubert Davis to Michael Malone.
These new documents make clear how close UNC came to a decision. And now, after millions spent and years of planning, the university is, in some ways, is back where it started: weighing cost against culture, and vision against voice.
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Yep! The fix was in. The decision was made. The game was rigged, until we shouted “foul” from the rafters.
Thank you nearly 40,000 people who signed our petition. You paused this party, but it’s not over. Let’s keep the pressure on. If you have not signed the petition, please do so here: renovatesmithcenter.org
#UNC #Tarheels #DeanDome #RenovateDontRelocate
Apr 21
UNC officials had mapped out a proposed launch plan for its new basketball arena at Carolina North. A video. Watch parties. Pop-up exhibits. "A bold, legacy-defining choice." "A once-in-a-generation opportunity." Now everything's on hold (once again). wral.com/sports/north-caroli…
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As we said from the beginning, there was a rush to Carolina North. All options were NOT equally investigated.
Why not? Seems like the plan all along was to make the arena the centerpiece of Carolina North, not because the analysis deemed it the best location when all factors were considered, but for some other reasons. What exactly are those reasons?
#UNC #DeanDome #RenovateDontRelocate
Apr 21
NEW @TheAthletic: UNC's derailed plans for new Carolina North basketball arena detailed in documents: 'From Dean to Dream'
nytimes.com/athletic/7213522…
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Now that we have a coach, it’s time to resolve our arena future.
Chancellor Roberts has indicated that discussions are currently “on hold.” But “on hold” is not the same as resolved—and it means that relocating our basketball home to Carolina North could remain a very real possibility.
Let’s get serious about on campus innovation not relocation! We request your input and support! Please sign the petition. renovatesmithcenter.org/ (Instagram link in bio) #UNC #DeanDome #UNCCH #TarHeels
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Neither Lee Roberts nor anyone in the administration has yet to say ,” We are not moving our basketball arena to Carolina North." We are waiting for this definitive declaration.
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Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to thoughtfully renovate our beloved Dean E. Smith Center.
Renovation is more than preservation—it is an opportunity to innovate.
Working alongside experienced professionals, we have developed a bold vision for a new South Campus—one that connects, enhances, and elevates the Carolina experience for students, fans, and the broader community. This concept includes:
•A modernized Smith Center with meaningful upgrades
•A long-awaited connection between South Campus and Main Campus
•New amenities to serve 5,000 currently underserved students
•An enhanced game day experience for all fans
•Improved access and support for the business school and hospital communities
•New student, graduate, and family housing
•Expanded and improved parking solutions
•A more walkable, connected campus environment
As illustrated in the attached concept, this approach delivers significantly greater benefits—at a substantially lower cost.
We invite you to take a closer look and imagine what’s possible.
Innovate. Don’t Relocate.
Make it a reality, sign the petition at renovatesmithcenter.org
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While they posted this to taunt us, it’s clear from last night’s win that our rival did not need to invest nearly a billion dollars in a new arena to deliver for their fans. Their renovated 87 year-old high school gym works just fine.
If we have a billion dollars to spend, invest in what actually matters for winning. There is plenty of evidence that building a new arena will not magically make our team “Elite” or recruit better players, or deliver an exceptional and unmatched fan experience as some want us to believe. Remember, our nearly 40-year old arena is less than half the age of Cameron.
#RenovateDontRelocate #UNC #Tarheels #CarolinaBasketball
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Right on target. The decision making regarding #UNC athletics is problematic. Deciding to relocate the basketball arena to Carolina North without the support of Roy Williams, Tyler Hansbrough and many others is problematic. Not doing complete due diligence on renovating the Smith Center is problematic. Inflating the cost of Smith Center renovation and roof repair is problematic. Potentially eliminating the extra 2,000 student tickets for the Duke game in future relocation plans is problematic. Not dealing directly with legacy ticket holders is problematic.
The Hubert Davis critics are real loud after UNC got bounced from the ACC Tournament. Are they right? Maybe. But there's a larger issue at UNC that's been unfolding in public that directly impacts this conversation.
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Are the 2,000 Duke game tickets in the relocation plan? @GoHeels will this be covered in future podcast episodes?
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We reviewed Episode 3 of The Arena Discussion podcast featuring Steve Newmark and Devin Duncan. We agree that putting more students closer to the court must be a priority in any future arena plan. How does moving the arena more than three miles from South Campus prioritize students?
Will any future plan maintain the 2,000 student seats for the Duke game? Their presentation slides raise concerns because they do not clearly state that an additional 2,000 Duke game seats would go to students.
When it comes to the student experience - Location matters. Student seating matters. Capacity matters. And on all three fronts, renovation delivers a far better student experience.
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Please review our complete comments on Substack - open.substack.com/pub/smithc…
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Sounds like the topic of tomorrow’s podcast episode will be “How to make Carolina basketball as ‘ELITE’ and inaccessible as possible.”
Step 1. Move the arena off campus
Step 2. Reduce student seating
Step 3. Raise ticket prices and dramatically increase the number of luxury boxes for the wine, cheese and caviar crowds and corporations
Mar 10
“We need … elite players, elite coaches, elite resources, elite facilities … and then also an elite student participation, elite student energy.”
Episode #3 of the @carolina_pod limited series THE ARENA DISCUSSION with incoming Director of Athletics Steve Newmark and Student Body President-Elect Devin Duncan goes live at 10am on Wednesday, March 11th.
🎧 Listen: GoHeels.com/CarolinaInsider
📺 Watch: YouTube.com/@GoHeels GoHeels.com
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