College Basketball

UNC Basketball: Dean Dome opens on this date in 1986

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:19 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Zack Pearson/FanSided via Keeping It Heel

The Dean Dome officially opened on this date in 1986 and has been home to the Tar Heels ever since

Here’s a little North Carolina Tar Heels history for you.

Can you believe that the Dean E. Smith Center officially opened its doors on this date 31 years ago? Yep, the Dean Dome hosted its first UNC basketball game on Jan. 18 1986 and it was a good one.

The No. 1 ranked Tar Heels played host to their hated rivals down the road as the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils helped usher in a stadium that has seen some historic moments over time. Both teams entered the matchup unbeaten and looking to take full control of the ACC.

The game would end up being a classic between the two teams with UNC pulling out a 95-92 victory over Duke.

Check out the full game below:

That’s just one of the classic games the Dean Dome has played host to over the years. It’s certainly seen it’s fair share of magic including a ton of UNC-Duke games.

We saw Eric Montross with blood streaming down his face, a bloody Tyler Hansbrough, UNC upsetting Maryland in a snowstorm, beating Duke just days after a snowstorm, Marvin Williams game-winner as a freshman and Marcus Paige’s impressive layup against Louisville.

And that’s just SOME of the moments that has made the Dean Dome special.

The Dean Dome now is just more than a building that hosts a Blue Blood program. It’s iconic on campus.

With new renovations, the Dean Dome holds a UNC basketball museum which is a must-see for Tar Heels fans all over.

The locker rooms are all brand new and pretty damn cool. They were re-done for this season and include iconic images from the program’s rich history, a game room and even a wall featuring Air Jordan sneakers.

UNC is currently unbeaten at home this year including wins over Tennessee, NC State and Florida State in the Dean Dome. Protecting home court is huge and a big key in making another title run.

Let’s see what other memories the Dean Dome has in store for us in the future.

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