The renovation added a full movie theater, new HD TVs and wall graphics, game tables, a new dining area for the athletes and staff and a wall of every Nike Air Jordan shoe ever made in Carolina Blue.
Clint Gwaltney, senior associate athletic director for Smith Center operations, said he worked to oversee the locker room project, which took about six months to complete and cost approximately $5 million.
“The locker room hadn’t been touched in about 15 years; it was time to make the space more functioning and more up to date with modern technology,” he said.
The project was budgeted for an estimated $4.2 million, according to the UNC Facilities Services website.
Gwaltney said the renovation team worked to add space to the new locker room and change the flow to ensure it would serve the student-athletes’ needs as best as possible.
“I think everyone was really excited about what the end result was going to be,” Gwaltney said.
Maria Vanderford, senior student manager for the basketball team, said with the new locker room, there is much more individual space, as well as space for them to hang out, do homework and eat.
Sophomore forward Luke Maye said he is looking forward to starting off the season in the new locker room — his favorite part being the addition of the lounge areas.