April 21, 2016
The Pavilion, which was built in 1985 and sits on Villanova’s campus, is a decent enough building. Although most would agree with the Inquirer’s Mike Jensen that it doesn’t measure up to the quality of the basketball team that plays in it, the current national champions. I am certainly in that group.
Well, Villanova seems to be doing something about that. From the school’s official athletic site:
Villanova University President, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, announced a $22.6 million total leadership gift from alumnus William B. Finneran '63, for the advancement of its strategic plan for a renovation of the Pavilion as well as programmatic support for its men's basketball program. This marks the largest gift ever to Villanova Athletics and propels the University forward, adding to the excitement and momentum generated from winning the 2016 National Championship.
It pays to have the top business school in the country, huh?
The release goes on to say that “planning phases for The Pavilion renovation will begin immediately and continue throughout 2016.” “The Ski Lodge” has a capacity of 6,500 people, and you would expect that the renovations will allow for more ‘Nova fans to pack the building.
Modernizing the fan experience (concessions, restrooms, etc.) also seems like an obvious potential area to focus on.
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