Know Before You Go: Dean Smith Center 2019-20

The following includes all the key information you need to know as you prepare for a great Carolina Game Day!

TICKETS
The ticket office is located at 450 Skipper Bowles Drive at the South East Ground Floor corner of the Ernie Williamson Athletic Center and generally opens 90 minutes prior to tip-off. More information is available at GoHeels.com/tickets.

GETTING THERE
Address: 300 Skipper Bowles Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

TAR HEEL EXPRESS SHUTTLES
Chapel Hill Transit operates the Tar Heel Express service to shuttle fans to UNC men's basketball home games. Tickets are $3 one-way, $5 round trip and no parking fee is charged for any Tar Heel Express pick-up lot. Passengers are issued wrist bands at the Park & Ride lot that indicates the appropriate bus for return trip boarding. All buses drop-off and pick up in front of the Smith Center.   Buses begin operating from the Park & Ride lot 90 minutes prior to tip-off until just after tip-off. Return trips begin immediately following the game. More information here.

Pick Up Locations:
·        Friday Center Park and Ride Lot
·        Airport Drive/UNC Facilities Parking Lot
·        Southern Village Park and Ride Lot
·        Jones Ferry Road Park and Ride Lot
·        Downtown/Carolina Coffee Shop (BASKETBALL ONLY - NO PARKING)

PARKING
Public Parking Lots are available for Men's Basketball games in the following locations:
FREE Bell Tower Deck – South Road
$10 Family Practice Lot – Manning Drive; $10: Boshamer Lots – Ridge Road; Cardinal Deck – Manning Drive; $10 Jackson Deck – East Drive

Exact change is appreciated to facilitate traffic flow into the lots.

Pre-paid parking is available for purchase online in advance of the game. Purchase your parking and display the online permit when entering the lot. Pre-paid game-day parking is available in the following lot: $12.20 Cardinal Deck – Manning Drive

Accessibility Parking is reserved for UNC Men's Basketball games in the Rams Head Deck located off of Ridge Road.
·        Accessibility Parking is $10 per vehicle.
·        Patrons with a state (any state) disability permit or license plate may park in this location.
·        Patrons with a temporary mobility issue that do not have a state issued disability permit or plate may arrange for a game day disability parking permit by contacting Transportation and Parking Services at 919-962-3951 or submit requests by completing the Basketball Request Form.
Rams Head Shuttle provides service from the Rams Head Deck bus stop to the front of the Smith Center.
·        Patrons are issued a Shuttle Pass when paying to park that must be presented when boarding the Rams Head Shuttle.
·        Golf Cart shuttles are available at the Smith Center bus drop-off for patrons unable to walk from the bus stop.
·        The Golf Cart Shuttles are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and only pick-up and drop-off at doors "A" and "B" of the Smith Center.
Anyone unable to walk from the "A" and "B" Doors to the bus stop in front of the Smith Center postgame, may ride the special golf carts to the bus stop. Service is first-come-first serve from the designated shuttle pick-up locations only. To ensure the most fair service possible, golf cart drivers will not pick-up passengers from any other locations and to stop running their cart if patrons board from unauthorized shuttle locations.

UBER/LYFT/TAXIS
Taxi services, including Uber and Lyft, may drop and pick-up passengers along Blythe Drive by accessing it from Bowles Drive and exiting it onto Hibbard Drive. An accessibility cart is available to shuttle patrons with mobility issues to and from the A & B Doors of the Smith Center and the pickup/drop off zone by the crosswalk on Blythe Drive. Other areas of campus have restricted traffic and road access and taxi services are not allowed.

More information here.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
The Smith Center's clear bag policy will be in effect for all home men's basketball games - More details available here.

Carolina Athletics encourages fans to plan to arrive at the gate 30 minutes prior to tip-off and to leave all bags at home.

• Any clear plastic or vinyl bag no larger than 12" x 12" x 20", including gallon freezer bags
• Small clutch purses no larger than 4.5" x 6.5"
• Necessary medical items following inspection at entry gates
• All prohibited items must be returned to your vehicles or discarded at the gates.
• No weapons of any kind are allowed to enter Dean E. Smith

GAMEDAY AMBASSADORS
·        Carolina Athletics is excited to expand its Tar Heel Ambassador Program to strategic locations throughout campus to offer customer experience support. Look for the pink shirts!
Follow the Game Day Twitter account (@GoHeelsGameDay) and the gameday portion of the GoHeels app (download for iOS orAndroid) for the latest details, logistics, times and more for everyone coming to the Smith Center.
·        Fans may call or text our Fan Text line at 919-238-9894 to report any concerns or ask any Game Day Related questions and expect a timely response.

PROHIBITED ITEMS
Prohibited Items for Arena Entrance:
All items are subject to inspection prior to entrance within the Smith Center, and will be allowed or removed based upon the safety of fans and spectators.
·        Alcoholic Beverages in bottles or cans
·        Artificial Noisemakers (horns, whistles, bells …)
·        Bags, Backpacks or Purses which do not meet Clear Bag Policy guidelines
·        Balloons
·        Beach Balls
·        Baby Seats
·        Cameras with interchangeable lenses larger than 6", Tripods, and Drones
·        Cigarettes or E-Cigarettes (smoke free facility)
·        Explosives
·        Firearms
·        Fireworks
·        Folding Chairs
·        Hard or Soft Coolers, Packages or Containers
·        Homemade Banners/Signs
·        Illegal drugs
·        Laser pointers
·        Outside food and beverages (two unopened water bottles - 20 oz. or less - per person are allowed)
·        Pets (service animals who perform assisted skills and are escorted by their direct handler are allowed within)
·        Skateboards
·        Weapons of any kind (including those carried with a permit)

Smith Center entrance graphic

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – Dean E. Smith Center

Where should I enter the Arena?
Despite the location of your seat indicated on your ticket, fans may enter at Entry A, B, or D. Entry C is reserved for UNC Students.

When is the Carolina Basketball Museum Open?
The Carolina Basketball Museum is free and scheduled to generally be open to the public from 10 a.m. until an hour prior to tip-off on Carolina Men's Basketball Home games in 2019. Beginning in January 2020, the museum will close to the public three hours prior to tip-off for all Carolina home games.

Why did the University of North Carolina adopt the Clear Bag Policy?
The UNC Athletic Department adopted the policy to further enhance the safety and security of our fans, spectators, players, coaches, and more. This positive transition will allow for a quicker ingress, a great game day experience, and additional spacing within the aisles.

Do I have to place everything I'm carrying into the permissible bags?
No. Fans are limited solely to the type of bags carried into the Smith Center, not the items they may normally bring to a game that fit within pockets or clutch bags (e.g., keys, makeup, feminine products, comb, phone, wallet, credit cards).

What about diaper bags and strollers?
Diapers and non-medically necessary items for babies and young children must be carried in a clear bag. Each member of a family, including children, can carry an approved clear bag and a clutch purse inside the Smith Center. In addition, strollers are allowed within the Arena if collapsible. Please know there is no designated stroller drop-off area and must fit underneath individual seats.

How many bags may each person bring into the arena?
Each individual will be allowed one large clear bag -- either a gallon freezer bag or the 12" x 12" x 20" clear bag - plus a small clutch that does not exceed 4.5" x 6.5". The small clutch allows privacy for small personal items and the ability to be easily searched.

May fans carry cameras, binoculars, smartphones or tablets separately from what they put in a clear bag?
Yes. Phones, tablets, binoculars or still cameras may be carried into the Smith Center. Please know if traveling with a designated binocular or camera case, it will be searched upon arrival.

If I have certain items that I need to bring into the arena for medical reasons and they won't fit in the clear bag, what do I do?
Medically necessary items will be screened and permitted into the arena upon the discretion of Gate Supervisors.

Are all purses prohibited?
No. Small clutch purses, with or without a handle or strap, that do not exceed 4.5" x 6.5" are permitted along with either the 12" x 12" x 20" clear bag or the one-gallon freezer bag. Fans are encouraged not to bring any bags, but the policy has been created to balance fan needs with improved public safety and convenience.

Do I have to purchase a bag from the University?
We will accept 12" x 12" x 20" clear bags that showcase different logos or no commercial identification, as well as an inexpensive one-gallon Ziploc bag. We encourage UNC Gear, and will provide Team Clear Bags to be purchased on the day of the game.

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