Villanova Athletic Facilities

THE JOHN “JAKE” NEVIN FIELD HOUSE
Officially opened on April 1, 1932 as the Villanova Field House, the Field House was renamed to honor long-time Wildcat athletic trainer John “Jake” Nevin on November 22, 1985. Once the home of both the Wildcat men’s and women’s basketball teams, the building is currently home to the women’s volleyball squad, as well as administrative offices and training facilities. Originally built at a cost of $350,000, the field house has hosted Villanova’s commencement exercises, numerous high school commencements, concerts, lectures, funerals, masses, dances and plays.

THE PAVILION
Officially opened in February 1986, The Pavilion is the current home of the Wildcat men’s and women’s basketball teams. With a seating capacity of 6,500, the Pavilion also has hosted commencements, receptions, banquets, dances and concerts since the opening. Also included in The Pavilion is a 200-meter indoor track, tennis courts and batting cages for the baseball and softball teams.

VILLANOVA STADIUM, GOODREAU FIELD & THE JUMBO ELLIOTT TRACK
Dedicated on October 8, 1927, and built at a cost of $500,000, numerous improvements and additions have been made to the original home of the Wildcats since then. The structure is officially known as Villanova Stadium and seats 12,000 spectators. It has hosted football, field hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, and international track meets, as well as commencements and other functions. The playing field was dedicated to the memory of Leo J. Goodreau, a football player who died due to injuries in practice, on May 7, 1930. On September 27, 1980, the running track was dedicated to Villanova’s legendary track & field coach, James “Jumbo” Elliott. In the summer of 1992, new surfaces were placed on the playing field (Astroturf-8) and track (Rekortan S). During the summer of 1997, state-of-the-art lights were installed, improving the quality of all Wildcat night contests. Just this past summer, a Stadium Renovation project took place with the addition of a press facility that includes two, 100-people meeting rooms for all athletic department members to utilize.

SOFTBALL FIELD
Located behind Bartley Hall on the Main Campus is Villanova’s softball field. In the Spring of 1998, the field was completely refurbished, improving the facility to one of the best in the Big East Conference. Improvements to the field include dugouts, warm-up areas and a new playing surface. To commemorate the opening of the new field, USA Softball Olympian and gold medalist Dot Richardson christened the new field by throwing out the first pitch in the Wildcats’ doubleheader with Boston College on April 7, 1997.

SOCCER FIELD
Located behind St. Mary’s Hall on the ever-growing West Campus is Villanova’s soccer field. It was established in the fall of 1992 as the new home for the Wildcat men’s and women’s soccer programs and was recently leveled and re-sodded for a top-notch facility. This past summer, new bleachers were added to the facility that will seat 1,500 people as well as the construction of locker rooms on the West Campus.

SWIMMING CENTER
Completed in July 1985 at a cost of $1.5 million, The Swimming Center is home to Villanova’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, and the women’s water polo squad. Measuring 25 meter by 25 yards, with depths ranging from 4 1/2 feet to 13 feet, it features 10 lanes for competitive swimming, two 1-meter diving boards, and 3-meter diving platforms.

PIKE FIELD
Located across the street from Villanova Stadium, this practice facility was re-built in 1994 at a cost of $350,000 to include a complete state-of-the-art throwing area for track and field meets that allows three events to be contested simultaneously. This field, equipped with a drainage system to ensure high quality conditions year-round, also serves as an outstanding practice field for Villanova’s varsity teams as well as intramural competition.

TENNIS COURTS
Varsity courts are located adjacent to St. Mary’s Hall on the West Campus. These newly-refurbished eight courts are home to both the Wildcat men’s and women’s tennis teams. Recreational courts are also available on the South Campus adjacent to Stanford Hall, and on the Main Campus behind Kennedy Hall. As part of the West Campus construction, new locker rooms were added to the facility this past summer.

ATHLETIC TRAINING ROOM
Villanova’s Jake Nevin Field House features a full-service athletic training room. The facility contains state-of-the-art equipment specifically for the treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. This facility now contains 2,200 square feet of training space. All advanced treatment and rehabilitation is performed under the supervision of four full-time National Athletic Training Association Certified personnel. In the cases requiring physical therapy needs, or subspecialized medical evaluation, outside consultants are utilized.

WEIGHT TRAINING & CONDITIONING FACILITIES
Under the direction of Strength & Conditioning Coach Jeff Watson, Villanova University offers one main weight training & conditioning facility underneath Villanova Stadium for all Wildcat student-athletes. Recently, the weight room was renovated to a 5,900 square foot training center with weight training and cardiovascular machines. There are also other weight training and conditioning facilities for the general Villanova University community on the South Campus and the West Campus. The South Campus facility was also renovated in the summer of 1998 to fit the needs of the general student body.