Trimble Shares Unique Perspective on Future of UNC's Home

The future of where the North Carolina Tar Heels will be playing has been a popular topic of discussion for the last month or so. There have been plans of either renovating the Dean E. Smith Center or moving into a new arena.

Senior guard Seth Trimble shared his perspective of how the situation should be handled during his meeting with the media on Tuesday.

Trimble's Thoughts

Jan 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) prepares a free throw against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

“You can’t move it. When you think of the University of North Carolina, instantly, what you think of is that gym," Trimble said. "You’re taking the history, you’re taking the impact it has on the campus, you’re taking everything that it does for this university away."

“So, I think without a doubt, you can’t take it, plus Coach [Roy] Williams has already come out. You’ve got to renovate; Tyler Hansbrough said it," Trimble continued. "So, if they’re saying it, you just [got to] listen to them.”

Trimble is not the only one that thinks the venue should remain the place where Tar Heels basketball games take place.

Hubert Davis' Thoughts

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis talks with guard Kyan Evans (0) during the first half against the East Carolina Pirates at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

“I’ve answered that question a couple of times in regard to how much I love the Smith Center,” Davis said. “It being home plate for me and I would assume the other former players, but speaking for myself, it’s not just a place where I played. It’s a place, when I say home plate, it’s a home plate for my life."

“I can remember every conversation that I had with Coach [Dean] Smith and Coach [Bill] Guthridge and the memories and conversations I had with my teammates all throughout the Smith Center," Davis continued. "It’s a place where, obviously, where I became a Christian and fell in love with my wife. We got married in Chapel Hill and that home plate has always been the Smith Center. That’s a place that I never, ever [as a former player] want it to go.”

Legendary Coach's Thoughts

Jan 29, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams with former UNC great Michael Jordan on the court as they were honored as part of the 1982 national championship team in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“I’m very much in favor of staying here in the Smith Center,” Roy Williams said. “Remodeling, renovating, whatever we need to do. I do not want to go off campus."

“I was Coach Smith’s assistant for ten years," Williams continued. "We had many discussions about basketball, about life, about the golf course, everything. But I do know, during the conversation about what to get out of this building… that Coach Smith wanted this place on campus. That was his wish. There was no question. And he even told me one day that after he was dead and gone, it was up to me to fight to keep it on campus.”

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