Generoso Pope Athletic Complex

Last updated
Generoso Pope Athletic Complex
The Pope
Generoso Pope Athletic Complex
Former namesPope Physical Education Center
Location180 Remsen Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
Coordinates 40°41′35.33″N73°59′31.79″W / 40.6931472°N 73.9921639°W / 40.6931472; -73.9921639
OperatorSt. Francis College
Capacity 1,200 (Daniel Lynch Gymnasium)
Construction
Opened1971 [1]
ExpandedOctober 10, 2003 (9,000 sqft Genovesi Center) [2]
Construction cost US$6,000,000 (Genovesi Center) [3]
Tenants
St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers

The Generoso Pope Athletic Complex, also known as The Pope, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is located on Remsen Street, between Court and Clinton Streets, within the St. Francis College campus. The Pope is named after Generoso Pope, an Italian immigrant who rose to prominence in New York City through his entrepreneurship and charity.

Contents

The Pope is composed of three levels, on the lower level is the Aquatics Center, above it is the Daniel Lynch Gymnasium and on top is the Genovesi Center. Each level hosts different NCAA Division I sports for St. Francis College and nine of its twenty-one teams call The Pope home. As such, The Pope is the core of St. Francis College's athletic facilities.

Basketball teams

Terriers vs Army Black Knights at The Pope on November 19, 2014. Daniel Lynch Gym at The Pope.png
Terriers vs Army Black Knights at The Pope on November 19, 2014.

The Daniel Lynch Gymnasium is the centerpiece of The Pope and it hosts the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball teams games. [4] The Gymnasium has a capacity of 1,200 seats and hosts nationally and regionally televised games. It has one of the smallest capacities in Division I basketball and is the smallest in the Northeast Conference. [5] For the 2014-15 men's basketball season, total attendance was 18,882 across 17 games for an average of 1,111 per game. [6]

The Gymnasium is named after alumnus Daniel J. Lynch, who coached the Terriers for 21 years and led them to 3 Regular Season Conference Championship wins and is the All-Time Terrier Coach wins leader. The teams play on Peter Aquilone Court, which was named after Peter Aquilone, the son of former Athletic Director and St. Francis alumnus Edward Aquilone, ’60. [4] The court was dedicated to Peter Aquilone on December 1, 2004, posthumously. [7]

In 2018, the Terriers unveiled a new hardwood basketball floor. The new court replaces the original one that was installed in 1969. [8]

Water polo, swimming and diving teams

St. Francis Aquatics Center St. Francis Aquatics Center.jpg
St. Francis Aquatics Center

The Aquatics Center has a competition-sized pool (six-lanes by 25-yards). It is home to the nationally ranked Men's Water Polo team which has three NCAA Final Four appearances, the Women's Water Polo Team and home meets for the college's Swimming and Diving Teams. During the off season and away games the pool is open to all students and is also used by the surrounding community.

Volleyball team

The Genovesi Center is a recent 9,000-square-foot (840 m2) addition to The Pope and was built on top of the Daniel Lynch Gymnasium in 2003. [3] [9] The Genovesi Center was named for former state Assemblyman Anthony J. Genovesi. [9] The Genovesi Center hosts the Terriers Men's and Women's Volleyball games and is regularly used for intramural games.

Different locations at The Pope have been used for backdrops to various scenes for film and television. The pool has been used to film scenes for the movie Across the Universe (2007) and the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords . [10] [11] The Peter Aquilone Court has been used for filming by the Late Show with David Letterman and The Today Show . [11]

In 2011, attending a Terriers game was named one reason to love New York by New York Magazine in their seventh annual Reasons to Love New York 2011 piece. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francis College</span> Franciscan college in Brooklyn, New York, US

St. Francis College is a private Franciscan college in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City. It was founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn as the St. Francis Academy and was the first private school in the Diocese of Brooklyn. St. Francis College began as a parochial all-boys academy in the City of Brooklyn and has become a small liberal arts college that has 19 academic departments offering 72 majors and minors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of St. Francis College

The St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers were the 21 teams that represented St. Francis College in athletics. The Terriers were members of NCAA Division I and participated in the Northeast Conference (NEC) except in two sports that the NEC does not sponsor—men's and women's water polo. The water polo teams respectively competed in the Collegiate Water Polo Association and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Daniel J. Lynch (1916–1981) was the former athletic director and basketball coach at St. Francis College. Lynch was also a noted public speaker, regularly addressing civic and sports groups. Lynch was often referred to as The Smiling Irishman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's basketball</span> American college basketball team

The St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's basketball program represented St. Francis College (SFC) in intercollegiate men's basketball up through the 2022–23 season, which was its last in intercollegiate competition. The team was a member of the Division I Northeast Conference. From late November 2022 until March 2023, the Terriers played home games at the Activity Resource Center at Pratt Institute in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. Through the 2021–22 season, they had played in the Daniel J. Lynch '38 Gym in the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex, located on SFC's former Brooklyn Heights campus. However, after the 2021–22 school year, SFC closed its Brooklyn Heights campus to move to a new campus on Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn. With the new campus lacking any athletic facilities, SFC arranged to use other nearby venues on at least a short-term basis. The Terriers' final game at the Pope Athletic Complex was held on November 19, 2022. The Terriers have also hosted home games at Madison Square Garden and at the Barclays Center. On March 20, 2023, St. Francis College announced that it would end intercollegiate athletics following the spring semester, making the 2022–23 season the program's final season in existence.

The Battle of Brooklyn was the college sports rivalry between Long Island University and St. Francis College. The LIU Sharks and SFBK Terriers were both in the Northeast Conference and competed against each other in various sports. The Battle of Brooklyn was a fierce rivalry, which originated in men's basketball; while the two schools are rivals in all sports that both schools sponsor, the "Battle of Brooklyn" name is currently applied only to matchups in men's and women's basketball and men's soccer. The intensity of the rivalry was augmented by the proximity of the two universities, located less than a half-mile apart in Downtown Brooklyn. The name of the rivalry is in reference to the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999–2000 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1999–2000 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Ron Ganulin, who was in his ninth year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981.

The 2004–05 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Ron Ganulin, who was in his fourteenth year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981.

The 2005–06 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Brian Nash, who was in his first year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers women's basketball</span> College basketball team

The St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers women's basketball program represented St. Francis College (SFC) in intercollegiate women's basketball. The team was a member of the Division I Northeast Conference from 1988 until 2023. The Terriers played at the Activity Resource Center at Pratt Institute in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Through the start of the 2022–23 season, the team had played at the Peter Aquilone Court at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex on SFC's former campus in Brooklyn Heights. At the end of the 2021–22 school year, SFC moved to a new campus on Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn that has no athletic facilities; SFC arranged to use The ARC on at least a temporary basis. On March 20, 2023, St. Francis Brooklyn announced the discontinuation of all intercollegiate sports, meaning the 2022–23 season was the final season for the Terriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012–13 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2012–13 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers women's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1988. St. Francis Brooklyn was coached by John Thurston, who was in his first year at the helm of the Terriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996–97 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1996–97 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Ron Ganulin, who was in his sixth year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992–93 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1992–93 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1992–93 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Ron Ganulin, who was in his second year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985–86 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1985–86 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Bob Valvano, who was in his second year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981, although at this time the conference was known as the ECAC Metro Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984–85 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1984–85 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Bob Valvano, who was in his first year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981, although at this time the conference was known as the ECAC Metro Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983–84 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1983–84 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Gene Roberti, who was in his fifth year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981, although at this time the conference was known as the ECAC Metro Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982–83 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1982–83 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1982–83 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Gene Roberti, who was in his fourth year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terrier's home games were played at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981, although at this time the conference was known as the ECAC Metro Conference. Also at this time the conference had 2 divisions, north and south, with St. Francis being in the north division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981–82 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1981–82 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Gene Roberti, who was in his third year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terriers played their homes games at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. This is the team's first year in the newly organized ECAC Metro Conference, which will later be known as the Northeast Conference. Also at this time the conference had 2 divisions, north and south, with St. Francis competing in the north division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980–81 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1980–81 St. Francis Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Gene Roberti, who was in his second year at the helm of the St. Francis Terriers. The Terriers played their homes games at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex and played an Independent, not affiliated with a conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2020–21 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's basketball team represented St. Francis College during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Glenn Braica, who is in his 11th season as the head men's basketball coach. The Terriers play their home games at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex in Brooklyn Heights, New York as members of the Northeast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's volleyball team</span> American college volleyball season

The 2023 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's volleyball team represented St. Francis College (SFC) in the 2023 NCAA Division I & II men's volleyball season. The Terriers, led by first-year head coach Justin Beaumont, played their home games at Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The Terriers competed as a member of the newly created Northeast Conference men's volleyball conference. The Terriers were picked to finish second in the NEC pre-season poll.

References

  1. ↑ "Terrier Magazine Fall 2007" (PDF). SFC.edu. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  2. ↑ "Genovesi Center Opens". canarsiecourier.com. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  3. 1 2 "B'klyn Hts. Getting New Sports Facility". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 4 November 2012.[ dead link ]
  4. 1 2 "Generoso Pope Athletic Complex". sfc.edu. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  5. ↑ "In a Bandbox Gym, a Team That's Long Had Room for Improvement". NewYorkTimes.com. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "2015 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "St. Francis (NY) To Dedicate Basketball Court to Peter Aquilone". northeastconference.org. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  8. ↑ "St. Francis Brooklyn Unveils Brand-New Basketball Floor". sfcathletics.com. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  9. 1 2 "New Center At St. Francis College To Be Named After Genovesi". canarsiecourier.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "Sets: Across the Universe". nyc.gov. Archived from the original on 22 October 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  11. 1 2 "SFC Film Shoots". sfc.edu. Archived from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "12. Because To Hell With the NBA. Go, St. Francis!". New York Magazine. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
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