A year of major decisions looms at UNC-Chapel Hill

Why it matters: It's just one of many critical decisions that sit on the desk of UNC chancellor Lee Roberts, who has been in charge of the state's flagship campus since 2024.

• Some of these potential decisions, like the future of the Dean E. Smith Center, are already proving to be lightning rods of controversy.

Between the lines: To be sure, Roberts is one element of a complex decision-making apparatus in Chapel Hill.

• Also weighing in: athletics director Bubba Cunningham and his heir apparent, Steve Newmark.
• And on top of that is a board of trustees that has shown itself willing to wield influence on decisions, as it did with the hiring of Bill Belichick as football coach.

What they're saying: "This is an incredibly complex organization, and as the world changes and grows around us, there are going to be areas of expansion and areas of contraction," Roberts told Axios earlier this year.

Here's what's on Roberts' desk:

🏀 Hubert Davis' future: The head basketball coach is perhaps the most visible leadership position in Chapel Hill, both as an ambassador for the school and the head of one of its two profitable sports.

• Davis is the handpicked successor of former coach Roy Williams, who notably wanted to keep the job within the tradition of the "Carolina Family." That tradition has high standards, though, with championship contention expected.
• Roberts is a Duke alumnus; if he decides to move on from Davis, there is no obvious replacement with Carolina ties. To move on, UNC would owe Davis, whose contract runs through the 2029–2030 season, roughly $5.3 million, the News & Observer reported.

🏟️ Dean Dome's future: Roberts has been one of the leading influences in pushing the conversation on the Dean Dome's future, whether that is renovating or rebuilding entirely.

• Building a new stadium — specifically at Carolina North — would generate the most cash, but a campaign to renovate the Dean Dome has complicated the conversation. Its supporters include national champs like Williams and former player Tyler Hansbrough, whose influence weighs on donors eager to return to title contention.
• A decision about the arena's future is expected in the coming months.

🏗️ Carolina North's expansion: Many chancellors have promised to expand UNC's campus to the university-owned site of a former airport north of downtown Chapel Hill. But Roberts, who has worked in real estate, promises to be the first to actually build at Carolina North.

• It still remains to be seen what gets built there first, however, with Roberts previously floating ideas of a new basketball arena or a new engineering school.
• But if the school is to expand its student body by 5,000 students over the next decade, as Roberts hopes, housing at Carolina North will play a big role.

🏈 Bill Belichick's tenure: One of the biggest decisions UNC has made during Roberts' time as chancellor was the hiring of NFL coaching legend Belichick.

• The first season did not meet the expectations set in the off-season, and year two will be critical for assessing the success of the entire endeavor. If there is no success, however, Roberts and company could be faced with another big sports decision.

💰 Navigating budget constraints: It's not an easy time to lead a university, with federal money for research in doubt, campus improvements needed, NIL requirements growing and a state budget still in limbo.

• UNC has already made plans to cut $70 million from its budget, but Roberts is continuing to push streamlining the university's operations this year and eyeing more cuts.

The bottom line: "At the end of every season, we look at everything," Roberts told WRAL. His office declined to offer a timeline or an interview to Axios.