The Committee for a South Campus Arena announced it had received more than enough petition signatures to fill the Dean E. Smith Center in support of renovating, not relocating, the historic Carolina men’s basketball venue
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A group of Tar Heel fans and alumni advocating to “renovate, don’t relocate” the historic Dean E. Smith Center announced it had received more than 21,750 signatures on its petition – enough supporters to fill every seat in the Smith Center.
“We are calling on Chancellor Roberts and the administration to fund a full and independent cost study of a Smith Center phased renovation and the comprehensive seating revenues so we have an accurate comparison,” said Committee Chairman Rusty Carter.
“We see no way a decision could remotely be made to relocate the arena without such comparative information. There are numerous examples of how other elite programs have executed renovations of their older arenas, remained on campus, and preserved their legacies. Who would ever give up our home court advantage if winning is a top priority?”
The announcement comes on the heels of the Committee releasing testimonial videos featuring Roy Williams and Tyler Hansbrough – both staunch supporters of renovating the current Smith Center to honor and preserve Tar Heel basketball legacy stemming back to historic coach Dean Smith.
The videos have received considerable attention online, including former Duke basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski telling Westwood One’s Josh Graham that UNC’s administration should “Listen to Roy, who understood Dean [Smith] the best.”
In a newsletter to the committee’s now 25,000+ supporters, it also issued a response to UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts’s recent remarks outlining the administration’s three main considerations in determining the future home of Tar Heel basketball: winning games, student experience and fan experience.
Chancellor Roberts’s full remarks and the Committee’s response can be found on the Committee’s Substack page, here.
The Committee continues to gather signatures and public support for renovating, not relocating, the historic Dean E. Smith Center at its website RenovateSmithCenter.org.
SOURCE Committee for a South Campus Arena
