The Dean E. Smith Center — universally called the Dean Dome — is the home of Carolina basketball and one of the great college sports venues in America. It opened in 1986 and was named after UNC's legendary head coach, who won two national championships here. Non-conference game tickets are usually available and relatively affordable; ACC games and rivalry matchups against Duke sell out instantly.
The building itself is impressive: a vast circular arena with steep seating that brings 21,000 fans close to the action. The retired numbers hanging from the ceiling form an informal hall of fame of modern basketball.