Twenty Years Ago Today

...a Young Tar Heel March first trotted on and along the cobblestone walls lining Manning Dr. to the shiny new stadium behind Hinton James - the Dean E. Smith Center. Naturally, UNC won, knocking off Duke 95-92. Since then, it's been twenty years of banners from the rafters, team photos on the concourse, bastketball campers in the summer and commencement ceremonies in the winters, a Carolina Blue Santa Claus tossing candy, and 21,750 seats for screaming fans. And where else in the country is there a stadium that has torn out luxury boxes to put in more seats? I've worked there, I've played there, I've cheered there - and there's no other place I'd rather watch a basketball game.

Somewhere I have the ticket stub from that first game, but it's hiding from the scanner at the moment. So instead I give you the oldest joke about the dear Student Activities Center:



Happy 20th Birthday.