CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) – UNC hockey is launching a fundraising campaign with hopes of building its very own arena in Chapel Hill by the 2028 season.
Project organizers are initiating a three-year, $25 million campaign and are actively pursuing interest in naming rights for the 3,000-seat ice hockey arena, the North Carolina Tar Heels Ice Hockey Booster Club announced on Thursday.
According to a news release, the multi-use facility will be constructed at Carraway Village, which is located off Interstate 40 in Chapel Hill. The Booster Club has completed a land purchase agreement, as the group seeks to close on the four-acre property by May 2025. Plans for the arena’s opening are currently slated for mid-2028.
The non-profit group is “very pleased with the positive feedback” regarding the construction plans, Booster Club President Colin Wahl said in a released statement.
“There is much enthusiasm from potential tenants and community residents alike who view the future arena as an important asset to the community for ice hockey, entertainment events and family-focused community activities,” he said.
An advisory board of business executives, UNC alumni, community leaders and ice hockey enthusiasts will assist the Booster Club with the capital campaign, the news release said.
The Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League recently unveiled that UNC hockey, which currently plays on the Division II level, is making the transition to Division I at the start of the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile, the university will also break the ice for a competitive women’s hockey club that’s set to debut in the same year.
The men’s ice hockey team has played in the Orange County SportsPlex in Hillsborough for years.