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The Finn | |
Former names | John Eleuthère du Pont Pavilion (1986–1997) The Pavilion (1997–2017) |
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Location | Villanova University Villanova, PA 19085 |
Coordinates | 40°02′03″N75°20′12″W / 40.034072°N 75.336553°W |
Public transit | Stadium–Ithan Avenue: SEPTA bus: 106 |
Owner | Villanova University |
Operator | Villanova University |
Capacity | 6,501 (basketball) 5,500 (concerts) 3,500 (tennis) |
Surface | Maple |
Construction | |
Broke ground | 1985 |
Opened | February 1, 1986 October 5, 2018 [1] |
Renovated | 2017–2018 |
Closed | February 25, 2017 (Original Pavilion) |
Construction cost | $24.9 million ($69.2 million in 2023 dollars [2] ) |
Architect | Tully International Inc. EwingCole (Renovation) |
Tenants | |
Villanova Wildcats (NCAA) (1986–1995, 1998–2017, 2018–present) Philadelphia Freedoms (WTT) (2010–2016) |
The William B. Finneran Pavilion is a 6,501-seat multi-purpose arena in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States, about 10 miles northwest of downtown (Center City) Philadelphia.
Built in 1985, the arena is home to the Villanova University Wildcats basketball teams. It is recognizable from the outside for its hyperbolic paraboloid roofline, similar to Alfond Arena at the University of Maine. It replaced the still-existing Villanova Field House, later renamed the "Jake Nevin Field House," a small arena-auditorium built in 1932.
The first men's basketball game played at the Pavilion took place on February 1, 1986, a 64–62 victory against the University of Maryland.
For basketball games where larger crowds are expected, Villanova plays at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia (where Villanova holds the record for largest Pennsylvania crowd to watch a college basketball game, att. 20,859). [3] The Finneran Pavilion is known for its famed student section, which constitutes a full third of the seating. Formerly located in the south end, the student bleachers seat 2,000 students but have been known to be filled with as many as 2,500 students.
Until 2016, it was the home court of the Philadelphia Freedoms of World TeamTennis. [4]
23,016 square feet (2,138.3 m2) of arena floor space is utilized for concerts, conventions, trade shows, graduation ceremonies and other special events. There are two meeting rooms.
The facility was originally known as John Eleuthère du Pont Pavilion, as it was funded in part by John Eleuthère du Pont, a member of the wealthy and influential Du Pont family. In 1997, the du Pont name was removed from the facility, with the family's tacit permission, after John was convicted of the murder of Olympic wrestling gold medalist Dave Schultz. From 1997 to 2017, it was simply The Pavilion before its current name was adopted as 1963 graduate William B. Finneran made a $22.6 million donation to the school in April 2016 to help with its current improvements.
In 2016 it was announced the Pavilion would undergo a $65 million renovation to improve the aging facility. At the end of the 2016–17 academic year, the facility closed to begin on the renovations. During the renovations, Villanova's men's team played the 2017–18 season at Wells Fargo Center, while the women's team used Jake Nevin Field House. [5] The renamed William B. Finneran Pavilion reopened in October 2018 with new concession stands, "enhanced audio-visual capabilities", new seating, along with a new entrance. The renovation also included the Court One Club which features the court from the 2016 National Championship Game. [6] Another part of the renovation included reducing the student section on the south end and adding student seating to the baseline of the north end. [7] The first game played in the renovated Finneran Pavilion was a 100–77 victory over Morgan State. [8]
The Finneran Pavilion is the current home to the Villanova Men's and Women's Basketball Teams. The arena also hosted other Villanova events including the yearly "Hoops Mania" event in Fall. [9] Hoops Mania is the kickoff event to the Villanova Men's Basketball season and has had past performers such as Drake, Nicki Minaj and Wiz Khalifa. [10] The Pavilion was the home court of the Philadelphia Freedoms of World TeamTennis from 2010 to 2016. [11]
Williams Arena is an indoor arena located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home arena for the University of Minnesota's men's and women's basketball teams. It also housed the men's hockey team until 1993, when it moved into its own building, 3M Arena at Mariucci. The building is popularly known as The Barn, and its student section is known as "The Barnyard".
The Wells Fargo Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia. It serves as the home of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The arena lies at the southwest corner of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which includes Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, and Xfinity Live!.
The Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion is an indoor arena on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. It is the home venue of the Golden Bears men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's and women's gymnastics teams. The arena is located in the middle of the main sports complex, overlooking Evans Diamond (baseball) and Edwards Stadium (track/soccer).
Mackey Arena is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Part of the Purdue University campus, it is home to the university's basketball teams, and occasionally hosts home games for the volleyball and wrestling teams. The arena opened in 1967 as a replacement for Lambert Fieldhouse.
McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena in the southwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. As the home of the university's Wildcats basketball team of the Big 12 Conference, it is primarily used for basketball, but also has physical training and therapy facilities. Its construction is marked with a large copper cap that has oxidized brown.
Thompson–Boling Arena at Food City Center is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The arena opened in 1987. It is home to the Tennessee Volunteers (men) and Lady Vols (women) basketball teams. Since 2008, it has been home to the Lady Vols volleyball team. It is named after B. Ray Thompson and former university president Edward J. Boling. The basketball court is named "The Summitt" after the late Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt. It replaced the Stokely Athletic Center. The mammoth octagonal building lies just northwest of the Tennessee River, and just southwest of Neyland Stadium. As an echo of its neighbor and a tribute to the brick-and-mortar pattern atop Ayres Hall, the baselines of the court are painted in the familiar orange-and-white checkerboard pattern.
Harold Alfond Sports Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Orono, Maine, United States. The arena opened in 1977. It is home to the University of Maine Black Bears ice hockey teams. It is recognizable for its distinctive hyperbolic paraboloid architecture. The multi-angular roof design can also be found at Pavilion at Villanova University, the Brown University Smith Swim Center and the Flynn Recreation Complex at Boston College. It is named for Harold Alfond, a longtime Maine booster, whose name also adorns Alfond Sports Stadium, the school's main outdoor stadium.
The Fertitta Center, formerly known as Hofheinz Pavilion, is a 7,100-seat multi-purpose arena on the University of Houston campus in Houston. Located at 3875 Holman Street, it is home to the Houston Cougars men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team. The arena opened in 1967 as Hofheinz Pavilion, named after Roy Hofheinz and his late wife, Irene Cafcalas "Dene" Hofheinz, after they donated $1.5 million to help fund construction. Roy Hofheinz, known as Judge Hofheinz, was a UH alumnus and a Houston politician, businessman, and philanthropist. The arena is now named after restaurant magnate, Houston Rockets owner and UH alum Tilman Fertitta, who donated $20 million toward the complete renovation of the arena in 2016. The court is named for Hall of Fame and former Cougars coach Guy V. Lewis. Like many arenas of its kind, the seating bowl of Fertitta Center is dug into the ground so that one enters the building at the top of the bowl.
Dale F. Halton Arena at the James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center is an indoor sports venue located on the main campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States of America. It is the home venue of the Charlotte 49ers men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball team. Halton Arena was named for the former president and CEO of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Charlotte. She was a benefactress to the university and served on the university's board of trustees. The building was funded entirely through private donations and student fees.
Bud Walton Arena is the home to the men's and women's basketball teams of the University of Arkansas, known as the Razorbacks. It is located on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas and has a seating capacity of 19,368, which is the fifth largest for an on-campus arena in the United States.
Moody Coliseum is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, Texas. The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs basketball teams and volleyball team. It was also home to the Dallas Chaparrals and Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association before they moved to San Antonio, Texas, as the San Antonio Spurs. It was also later the home for the Dallas Diamonds of the Women's Professional Basketball League.
Alumni Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Amherst, New York. The arena is home to the State University of New York at Buffalo men's and women's basketball teams, the women's volleyball team, and wrestling team. The facility has a capacity of 6,783 people for basketball games.
The Merrimack Athletics Complex is the home of the Merrimack College Warriors athletics teams. It has a basketball court and hockey arena. Hammel Court, located in the Volpe Athletic Center, is the home of the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the volleyball team. Lawler Rink is the home of the Division I Merrimack Warriors men's ice hockey team, which had won the 1978 Division II national title before transitioning to Division I and joining the Hockey East Conference.
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, originally known as A.J. Palumbo Center, is a 3,500-seat multi-purpose arena in the Uptown area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The arena originally opened in 1988 and is part of Duquesne University. It is home to both the Duquesne Dukes basketball and volleyball programs. Access to the building is available from both Interstate 376 and Interstate 579.
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The Victor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center, known today as the Run Baby Run Arena, is a multipurpose athletic facility on the campus of Saint Peter's University, a private, coeducational Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey. Notable for its air-supported "bubble," the Yanitelli Center opened on November 29, 1975 at a cost of $6 million and is named after the 17th president of the college.
The Vines Convocation Center, also known as simply The Vines Center, is a 9,547-seat multi-purpose arena in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was built in 1990 and was home to the Liberty University Flames (men's) and Lady Flames (women's) basketball teams from its opening until the adjacent Liberty Arena opened in 2020. The Vines Center features three practice courts. It hosted the Big South Conference men's basketball tournament from 1995 to 1998, and also all rounds of the tourney except for the first round in 2003 and 2004. In the fall of 2008 the Vines Center underwent a major renovation of all seating.
The Jake Nevin Field House is an arena located at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The arena, built in 1932, is the former home of the Villanova men's basketball program prior to the construction of the venue now known as Finneran Pavilion in 1986. It currently houses the women's volleyball team, as well as the intramural sports program and the main athletic offices for the school.
M&T Bank Arena, previously known as TD Bank Sports Center and People's United Center, is a multi-purpose arena in Hamden, Connecticut. Its design is unusual in that it consists of two separate playing and seating areas, one intended for basketball and one intended for ice hockey, joined together within a common facility. It seats 3,570 for basketball and 3,386 for hockey. Officially, the hockey side is known as the Frank Perrotti, Jr. Arena at the People's United Center.
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