Finneran Pavilion
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.
The Finn | |
The Finneran Pavilion during a basketball game in November 2018 | |
| Former names | John Eleuthère du Pont Pavilion (1986–1997) The Pavilion (1997–2017) |
|---|---|
| Location | Villanova University Villanova, PA 19085 |
| Coordinates | 40.034072°N 75.336553°W |
| Public transit | Stadium–Ithan Avenue: Norristown High Speed Line 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 |
| Renovated | 2017-2018 |
| Closed | February 25, 2017 (Original Pavilion) |
| Construction cost | $24.9 million ($69.2 million in 2023 dollars) |
| Architect | Tully International Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Villanova Wildcats (NCAA) (1986–1995, 1998-2017, 2018–present) Philadelphia Freedoms (WTT) (2010–2016) | |
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). 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.
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.