Mar 30, 2026
3 min read
The debate over whether to renovate the Smith Center, the home of North Carolina men's basketball for 40 years, or build a new venue elsewhere has been a divisive topic among the Tar Heels.Now this conversation has stopped.
The University of North Carolina has put discussions on the future of the Smith Center on hold until the Tar Heels hire their next men's basketball coach and that coach has had time to develop his program, potentially weighing on any future basketball decision.
The suspension "will allow Bubba Cunningham and Steve Newmark to focus on the search and selection of a new head basketball coach" and will continue until "the new coach of the basketball program is focused on the growth and long-term success of his program," Steuer, vice chancellor for university communications, told WRAL.
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North Carolina fired Hubert Davis on Tuesday, days after the Tar Heels were eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the first round for the second straight season.UNC is targeting some of the biggest names in the sport to replace Davis and doesn't want the new arena discussion to hinge on the search or new coach, Stoer said, noting the need to remove any potential distractions at a critical time for the program.
"We must move forward in a way that allows our team to continue to compete at a high level," said Cunningham, the school's outgoing athletics director when Davis was fired.
during basketball seasonThe debate over the new location was public.Departments were created between the offices.which wants to build a new office in North Carolina.with some project sponsors wanting to renovate the Smith Building at its current location.Students and fans to update updates.
As a result of the rejection, the government announced two new commissions that will deal with the issue.one made up of former players over the decades, the other for students.Both commissions will be suspended.
The Smith Center, named for former UNC coach Dean E. Smith, has been the home of the Tar Heels since 1986. UNC has won more than 500 games at the venue, including memorable games like UNC's last-second victory over Duke this season, but the building lacks revenue-generating amenities like luxury boxes or suits, club seats. And even things likeits single toilets and bathrooms are dated compared to modern arenas.
Noting simply that the arena would cost more than $150 million to complete over the next 20 years, school officials said they managed it for two years.The fix was one of seven options discussed by athletic department officials.Each of them outlines their expenses and income.
A new arena is estimated to cost around $800 million, while a major renovation of the Smith Center could cost around $600 million with associated costs.Officials say a new arena could bring in more than $20 million a year in revenue;This is paramount in the revenue sharing era of college athletics.
Much of the debate revolves around what to do with the approximately 4,300 legacy seat holders, those who received permanent rights to seats at the Smith Center 40 years ago in exchange for their contributions to the construction of the building.
UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts said there are three main considerations for him in the arena debate, including what helps the Tar Heels win and win big.
That's a tough thing to do with any new coach, but it's especially relevant to the UNC program. For the first time since Frank McGuire took over in the 1950s, UNC is expected to hire a coach with no coaching or playing experience at the school.
Davis, a former player and assistant coach at UNC, was 125-54 in five seasons as a head coach and reached the NCAA Tournament national title in his first season.But the Tar Heels earned a best No. 6 seed in the tournament during his tenure and either lost the tournament or lost in the first round three times.He has four years left on his contract.
Contact Murphy at bmurphy@ or @murphsturph at X.
