TO THE EDITOR:
Regarding the Dec. 2 article, “UNC considers Smith Center renovations”: The “best” atmospheres in college basketball, which include Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan State, have two things in common: successful basketball programs and considerable, relatively-unified student seating close to the court.
Having the loudest fans together near the court creates an intimidating and distracting atmosphere for opposing teams and a major recruiting advantage. It also encourages students to come to games by demonstrating that the team values their support and by generating an atmosphere where passionate fans can come together and express themselves.
By contrast, UNC is known for having a quiet, “wine-and-cheese crowd” of rich, older alumni who fail to make it feel “like 21,750 are right on top of you.” Clearly, something needs to be done to inspire a more raucous environment at UNC that can match other college basketball powers, and better student seating is a great place to start.
We obviously understand the importance of maintaining the support of generous alumni, and luxury boxes to replace the courtside seats are a logical solution to satisfy all parties. Though this might eliminate some seats from the upper deck, it would be a stretch to say we would be “sacrificing the authenticity” of a cookie-cutter, professional-style stadium that opened in 1986. If it leads to a better crowd and a better program, such a move should be something that all UNC fans can get excited about.
Andrew Darvin ’14
Alexandra Cruz ’14
Carolina Fever
