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Villanova Will Renovate The Pavilion
By Kyle Scott
Published:
Villanova basketball held its team banquet last night and announced that team benefactor William B. Finneran, a hedge fund guy, would be donating $22.6 million to the program to be used to renovate the Pavilion. Fr. Peter Donohue explained in a letter:
This gift also allows us to move forward with a strategic plan to transform The Pavilion into a sports arena that reflects Villanova’s athletic prominence and enables student-athletes to compete at the highest levels of Division I athletics. This vital renovation will enhance our ability to recruit and train the nation’s best and brightest student-athletes and provide the strongest home court advantage possible. It will also enable us to offer a high-quality, game-day experience for students, alumni and fans, and support the facility’s use for significant University-wide activities, including Commencement events, Candidates’ Days and the Special Olympics.
Now, allow me to tweak Temple folks for a second: This is how you capitalize on success and improve your facilities. You win the National Championship and create so much demand for your team that a rich guy is essentially compelled to do it for you. What you don’t do is float the idea of a $100 million North Philly stadium for a team the crept into the top 25 and then proceeded to lose four of its last seven games and can’t even fill its beautiful basketball arena in the same less-than-desirable area for Philly sports to take a weekend venture. I’m… just being honest don’t hate me.
*Which I’m sure the assholes who live near campus in Radnor will hate and act as though they’re shocked – SHOCKED! – that they moved near a big University.
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.