February 14, 2017
It's good to be the reigning champions. Villanova University's basketball arena will undergo a multimillion-dollar makeover, the school announced Tuesday.
In response to "increased visibility nationally," the school's Board of Trustees formally approved the $60 million renovation of the Pavilion, which has hosted home games for the men's and women's teams for 31 years on campus. The refurbishment is set to begin in June, and the arena will be renamed the Finneran Pavilion.
The project will be funded entirely by donor support and will ensure future success for the school's teams, director of athletics Mark Jackson said.
"The new Finneran Pavilion will provide an even stronger home-court advantage, enhance our ability to recruit and train the nation’s best and brightest student-athletes, support all of our programs and student-athletes, and provide a first-class, game-day atmosphere for the best fans in college sports," Jackson added.
The renovation will not be completed in time for the upcoming season, forcing both basketball teams to find temporary homes for 2017-18. While the schedules are still being finalized, the school expects a majority of the men's home games to be held at the Wells Fargo Center, and the women's home games will remain on campus at the Jake Nevin Field House.
The new-look Pavilion is scheduled to reopen in time for the start of the 2018-19 seasons.
"The Finneran Pavilion will be a gathering place in which the Nova Nation can take great pride, and its impact will be felt on our program for years to come," men's head coach Jay Wright said.
School officials have yet to decide on the project's final design, seating locations or ticket prices. A website has been created to keep students, alumni, donors and season-ticket holders up to date on the latest developments.
More detailed plans are expected to be released in the next several weeks.
