Art’s Angle: Happy Birthday, Dean Dome

N.C. State’s visit marks the 30^th birthday of the Dean Smith Center, which opened on the third Saturday in January, 1986, against Duke in what felt like an NCAA Tournament game.

Both teams were undefeated – UNC 17-0 and ranked No. 1, Duke 16-0 and No. 3 – and playing on the court for the first time; it was nationally televised and each of the then 21,444 light blue seats was filled for tip-off. The Blue Devils’ Mark Alarie scored the first basket in what had already been dubbed the “Dean Dome,” and Warren Martin made the first hoop for the home team.

Behind seniors Brad Daugherty and Steve Hale, who combined for 51 points, Carolina opened up a double-digit lead in the second half and withstood a Duke rally to win 95-92 in one of the most memorable afternoons in UNC history.

The night before, the state-of-the-arc octagonal with the Teflon roof had been officially named the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center at a black tie gala on the floor of the building that was erected with $36 million of private money, a first for an on-campus basketball arena in the country.

The Rams Club spearheaded the fund-raising drive behind the late Ernie Williamson, Hargrove “Skipper” Bowles and Dean Smith and was fittingly proud of a feat that many thought could not be accomplished. The Rams Club published a picture book titled “Commitment To Excellence” chronicling the construction, a hard-cover commemorative copy given to each major donor with his or her name etched on the cover. All donors are listed on engraved plaques inside Gate A.

UNC was the first in the old eight-school ACC to replace its bandbox gym with such a palace when the flagship state university was first in just about everything. Smith’s Tar Heels had won the 1982 national championship and went on to post the best record in college basketball over the entire decade.

Since then, flaws have gradually come to light, particularly the too-narrow, one-level concourse. And the supply-and-demand for tickets has reversed with the TV-dictated starting times of almost every Carolina home game. In 1992, after unranked Florida State had upset the No. 5 Tar Heels, Seminoles guard Sam Cassell uttered the infamous phrase that UNC fans were “sort of a cheese and wine crowd.” That taste stuck like a bad piece of Munster.

Over the two decades since, efforts have been made to bring the building to life for games besides Duke and State or any other opponent that comes in with a high national ranking. Most of the padded seats have been replaced, the video screens, sound system and lighting upgraded so it has the feel of a big-time arena at tip-off, boosted by colorful PA announcer Tony Gillam. Everybody has seen the “I’m a Tar Heel” and “THIS is Carolina Basketball” features that play each game.

Student risers were added behind the home basket in 2000 to get a few hundred kids closer to the action, and they “Jump Around” to the House of Pain song awaiting the tip in what has become the Smith Center’s singular tradition. All other students are scattered around the building in pods from the lower arena to the upper deck nose-bleed seats. A true home-court advantage exists only when everyone, from the fat cats around the court to the fans on high, stand and scream their lungs out. Duke is the one opponent that has no idea what the hell the “cheese and wine crowd” is.

Since his arrival in 2011, Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham has spent money further upgrading the Dean Dome, some of it to make more money. He had a digital “ribbon board” installed along the fascia of the upper deck with fancy graphics and non-stop commercial endorsements that may have the namesake of the building wincing from above. Smith was always against, and banned, signage.

All of this is supposed to enhance the game-day experience for fans, make them want to leave their couches and HD flat screens, pay the on-average $50 ticket prices, battle the traffic and parking problems and be proud to go to work or church the next day saying, “We were there.” Most of it works, some of it doesn’t.

Smith was steadfast with his stance on commercialization. And he would hate the way the digital board flickers like Times Square. Amidst all the glitter, the clock and score behind each basket are hard to pick up at a quick glance while the action is going on. Additional scoring panels should be added and ideally moved back to the four fascia “corners” of the octagonal, where they used to be before the ribbon was installed, set off and easily viewable from anywhere in the arena.

That’s a perfect combination of the old and new that would add to what is otherwise a contemporary and improved fan experience at the 30-year-old Smith Center. Happy Birthday to the Dome named for the Dean.