Battle | UNC becomes 2nd school to open basketball museum
By Kevin Ware
Posted: 2/26/08, 12:59 AM EST Section: Sports
The Dean E. Smith Center, where North Carolina plays its home games, is plastered with the traditional Carolina baby blue, ranging from the seats to the decal of the state painted across center court and the legendary jerseys in the rafters.
But now North Carolina fans have a new blue heaven.
The UNC basketball museum, which opened to the public on Jan. 28, features more than 450 artifacts from the celebrated basketball program. The museum cost $3.4 million to complete and covers a massive 8,000 square feet.
The new museum is an upgrade from the much smaller memorabilia room in the Smith Center, which was used for other sports as well. The only other school with a basketball-only museum at a university is Kentucky.
"When this building was built, the museum was planned immediately and that the museum would go on the bottom floor because so much basketball stuff could not go in that little memorabilia room in the Smith Center," said Rick Brewer, a former UNC sports information director, who has been working for the school since 1967.
The idea was formed roughly five years ago when Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith decided to donate his extensive collection of memorabilia to North Carolina.
"I think that Carolina fans are a pretty passionate group about the basketball team," said Steve Kirschner, UNC's associate athletic director for communications and a member of the museum committee. "We've been blessed with a great deal of success, both great teams, great players, great coaches. We've never had one place where we've been able to bring all that together in terms of the memorabilia and the trophies. We have that now with this museum."
The museum is part of the brand new Ernie Williamson Athletics Center, which is located next to the Dean E. Smith Center.
After entering the front doors, a museum guide greets the visitors, and they are escorted into a dark room with an IMAX-like screen.
A movie comes on the screen, which gives the visitors a brief overview of the prestigious North Carolina basketball program and an insider's perspective on what game day is like in Chapel Hill.
But now North Carolina fans have a new blue heaven.
The UNC basketball museum, which opened to the public on Jan. 28, features more than 450 artifacts from the celebrated basketball program. The museum cost $3.4 million to complete and covers a massive 8,000 square feet.
The new museum is an upgrade from the much smaller memorabilia room in the Smith Center, which was used for other sports as well. The only other school with a basketball-only museum at a university is Kentucky.
"When this building was built, the museum was planned immediately and that the museum would go on the bottom floor because so much basketball stuff could not go in that little memorabilia room in the Smith Center," said Rick Brewer, a former UNC sports information director, who has been working for the school since 1967.
The idea was formed roughly five years ago when Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith decided to donate his extensive collection of memorabilia to North Carolina.
"I think that Carolina fans are a pretty passionate group about the basketball team," said Steve Kirschner, UNC's associate athletic director for communications and a member of the museum committee. "We've been blessed with a great deal of success, both great teams, great players, great coaches. We've never had one place where we've been able to bring all that together in terms of the memorabilia and the trophies. We have that now with this museum."
The museum is part of the brand new Ernie Williamson Athletics Center, which is located next to the Dean E. Smith Center.
After entering the front doors, a museum guide greets the visitors, and they are escorted into a dark room with an IMAX-like screen.
A movie comes on the screen, which gives the visitors a brief overview of the prestigious North Carolina basketball program and an insider's perspective on what game day is like in Chapel Hill.
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