The Pavilion
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| The Pavilion | |
|---|---|
| Location | Villanova University Villanova, PA 19085 |
| Broke ground | 1985 |
| Opened | 1986 |
| Owner | Villanova University |
| Operator | Villanova University |
| Former names | |
| du Pont Pavilion (1986-97) | |
| Tenants | |
| Villanova University Wildcats | |
| Capacity | |
| 6,500 (basketball) 5,000 (concerts) |
|
The Pavilion is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Villanova, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. It was built in 1985, and is home to the Villanova University Wildcats basketball teams. It is recognizable from the outside for its hyperbolic parabaloid roofline, similar to Alfond Arena at the University of Maine. It replaced the Jake Nevin Field House, a small arena-auditorium on campus built in 1932. The first men's game played at the Pavilion took place on Saturday, February 1, 1986 versus the University of Maryland. The basketball court only takes up half the space of the building; it is expandable as an indoor track facility and recreation center. For games where larger crowds are expected, Villanova plays at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, except for Big Five games, which have been played on campus for "home" games since the series was revived in 1999.
The facility was originally known as du Pont Pavilion, as it was funded 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.
| Current Basketball Arenas in the Big East |
|---|
| Alumni Hall (Providence women) •Allstate Arena (DePaul men) • Bradley Center (Marquette men) • Carnesecca Arena (St. John's) • Carrier Dome (Syracuse) • Continental Airlines Arena (Seton Hall men) • Dunkin' Donuts Center (Providence men) • Fifth Third Arena (Cincinnati) • Freedom Hall (Louisville) • Gampel Pavilion (Connecticut) • Hartford Civic Center (Connecticut) • Joyce Center (Notre Dame) • Louis Brown Athletic Center (Rutgers) • Madison Square Garden (St. John's men) • McDonough Gymnasium (Georgetown women) • McGuire Center (Marquette women) • The Pavilion (Villanova) • Petersen Events Center (Pittsburgh) • Sullivan Athletic Center (DePaul women) • USF Sun Dome (South Florida) • Verizon Center (Georgetown men) • Wachovia Center (Villanova) • Walsh Gymnasium (Seton Hall women) • WVU Coliseum (West Virginia) |
| Current Basketball Arenas in the Philadelphia Big 5 |
|---|
| •The Palestra (Penn, St. Joseph's, La Salle) • The Pavilion (Villanova) • Liacouras Center (Temple) • Tom Gola Arena (La Salle) • |
