I went to the Dean Dome for a UNC vs. Wake Forest men's basketball game. While I'm not a fan of Carolina, I'm a lifelong college basketball fan and can respect the history UNC basketball. The school has six national championships, great coaches, and countless players who've gone on to have successful pro careers. Growing up in North Carolina, the Heels were a big deal. Admittedly, I was part of the ABC (Anybody But Carolina) club, so I wasn't thrilled being surrounded by Carolina blue and white, but the facility was cool. The Smith Center is the ACC's third biggest basketball arena with a seating capacity of 21,750. It's behind Syracuse's Carrier Dome, which has a capacity of 35,642 for basketball, and Louisville's KFC Yum! Center, which has a capacity of 22,090. Unlike many other NCAA Division I basketball and NBA arenas around the country, the Smith Center was designed specifically with basketball in mind. It's the biggest college home arena I've been in, though NC State's PNC Arena, which isn't far away, is close (19,722). At the time of writing this review, I'm a 15-year (consecutive) season ticket holder to Georgia Tech men's basketball games. Our arena, McCamish Pavilion, seats only 8,600 and we have only a handful of sellouts a year. Compared to what I'm used to, the Dean Dome feels big and cavernous, more like an NBA arena. I don't know if the game I went to was sold out, but it either was or close to it, and yet the atmosphere wasn't as loud nor as intense as I thought it was going to be. Our section in the lower level, which was filled with Carolina fans, was pretty tame. For college games, I think I prefer more intimate venues like McCamish which can get quite loud and intense when packed. The Smith Center opened in 1986. It's showing its age in several areas including the exterior (it looks dated) and the interior concourse areas. What I think is cool about the venue is it acts sort of like a museum to Carolina basketball with trophies, team photos, plaques, and even a bust of former head coach Dean Smith. Inside the arena, there are more banners and retired and "honored" jerseys (over 40 jerseys total) than I've seen hanging from the rafters of any other arena in any sport. It's kind of ridiculous. But the coolest thing to me are the four widescreen displays that hang in the four corners of the building. Their four corners display setup is unlike any I've seen. Speakers and the American and North Carolina state flags hang from the center of the translucent dome above. The Dean Dome is open to the public on weekdays, 8am-5pm, and the adjacent Carolina Basketball Museum (separate building) is open weekdays, 10am-4pm, and Saturday, 9am-1pm. Admission is free to both. read more