The countdown is on for the Carolina women’s basketball team and its longtime home at Carmichael Arena. After decades of rich tradition and unforgettable moments, the program is preparing to leave the historic venue behind - not because it wants to, necessarily, but because it’s simply outgrown it.
Whether UNC decides to build a brand-new arena or renovate the Smith Center, one thing is clear: both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will eventually share a modernized home, complete with separate, state-of-the-art practice facilities. That’s a major shift for a women’s program that’s called Carmichael home for over half a century.
Head coach Courtney Banghart, now in her fifth season at the helm, understands the emotional weight of that transition - but she also sees the practical side.
“People love watching games in Carmichael, so they assume we want to stay,” Banghart said. “We’ve kind of outgrown it in some ways.”
And she’s not wrong. Despite renovations in 1998 and again in 2008, Carmichael - once known as Carmichael Auditorium - is showing its age.
The film room can’t hold the full team and staff at once. The dressing room is serviceable, but tight.
And while the arena still delivers one of the best atmospheres in women’s college basketball, the program’s needs have evolved.
Banghart’s squad now uses a practice facility adjacent to Carmichael and Woollen Gym, which has helped alleviate some of the space crunch. But with volleyball, gymnastics, and wrestling also calling Carmichael home, scheduling and space remain a challenge.
“If we could get some new stuff, we wouldn’t mind it,” said freshman Nyla Brooks, who could very well finish her Carolina career in a new arena.
The timeline is still fluid, but the women’s team is expected to remain in Carmichael for another two or three seasons. Meanwhile, the men’s team - which moved to the Dean E.
Smith Center in 1986 - could be displaced for up to two seasons if that building undergoes major renovations. That would likely mean home games in Greensboro, raising questions about how a temporary move might affect recruiting and fan engagement.
All current options for the new arena or renovation project include a 16,000-seat capacity. Of the five potential sites for a new build, the Carolina North site is emerging as the most likely. Other locations under consideration include the Bowles Lot, Odum Village, and the Friday Center.
But a Smith Center renovation wouldn’t come cheap. To make room for dual practice facilities, UNC would need to demolish the 40-year-old Khoury Natatorium - the current home of the swimming and diving teams - and build a new aquatic facility elsewhere.
Still, Banghart isn’t sweating the logistics. She’s staying in her lane, focusing on basketball-specific discussions while leaving funding, zoning, and construction to the experts.
“Those [meetings about] funding it don’t include me, the ones dealing with zoning in the state don’t include me,” she said. “The ones that involve the basketball part of it include me.”
She and men’s head coach Hubert Davis are both involved in shaping the basketball-related vision for the new space - whether that means a full rebuild or a major renovation.
“[We] really understand what makes a good basketball arena,” Banghart said. “So those are the ones that we’re a part of.”
There’s a lot at stake. In today’s college sports landscape, revenue matters more than ever. And Banghart knows that if Carolina wants to keep competing at the highest level, it can’t afford to fall behind in facilities.
“Times have changed where revenue really matters,” she said. “We sell out men’s games night after night, and however we can get the most revenue from that would help all things.”
That financial reality has shifted the way programs think about their homes. It’s no longer just about nostalgia or tradition - it’s about recovery rooms, nutrition stations, and the infrastructure that supports elite athletes year-round.
“Anything new means that it’s more caught up in terms of recovery space and nutrition and all the ways that athletics has changed since the Dean Dome was built,” Banghart said. “You put it under one roof, men and women together, there’s a lot of value to that, too.”
Of course, there’s always the concern that a newer, bigger venue could lose some of the charm and intimacy that makes Carmichael so special. Banghart hears that, but she’s not worried.
“People aren’t coming for the seats or the brick and mortar. They’re coming for the teams,” she said. “A bigger venue means an opportunity for more fans,” and if the team keeps winning, she expects those fans to show up.
The move will be bittersweet. Carmichael has been home to the women’s program since the 1971-72 season, when the team shifted from the much smaller Women’s Gymnasium.
It’s one of only two programs in the ACC - along with N.C. State’s women, who play at Reynolds Coliseum - that don’t share a venue with their men’s team.
Banghart knows the decision will stir emotion. There was excitement when the men’s team moved to the Smith Center in 1986, but also sadness. The same will be true here.
“I understand that some of the nostalgia and history would be lost,” she said. “I think people like good teams, wherever those teams are.”
And that’s the heart of it. This isn’t about abandoning tradition - it’s about building a foundation for the next generation of Carolina basketball. Banghart is ready for the change, and while the walls may change, the standard won’t.
“I’m sure the new arena will be really, really awesome, whatever it is,” she said. “It will be more updated with all the recovery that these guys need and a bigger space.”
Change is coming. But for a program rooted in excellence, that change is just another step forward.