'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
Villanova Field House, later renamed the "Jake Nevin Filed 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 Pavillion Student Section
The facility was originally known as 'John Eleuthère 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.
The arena is also used for
concerts,
conventions,
trade shows,
graduation ceremonies and other special events. The arena floor measures 23,016 square feet; there are two meeting rooms.
External link
★
Official Webpage