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Sneak Peak: The Villanova Stadium West End Zone Building

The new athletic facility is due to open next weekend.

By Chris Lane
  • This area will form a new lobby for visitors entering through the old ticket office area of Jake Nevin. There is room for over 20 national championship trophies in the cases.
  • Just beyond the Atrium is a reception area with a great view of the field.
  • A private office in the academic support area.
  • The new academic support room.
  • An assistant football coach's office.
  • Every football position group will have their own meeting room in the building.
  • Cornerbacks meeting room (flat screen monitors will be installed throughout the building).
  • The football head coach's office has an en-suite full bathroom (with shower).
  • The Head Coach's office has a couple of couches or chairs to accommodate meetings.
  • The Howie Long Performance Center is a two-storey gym that is still being set up in this picture. A large mural of Long will be on one wall. Both levels will contain brand new strength & conditioning equipment.
  • The wall to the right will house the Howie Long mural. Long and his wife made a seven figure donation toward this building.
  • A nice view of the stadium from the hip press machines upstairs in the new S&C facility.
  • Howie Long #55 will be recognized as the donor for the new S&C facility.
  • A "fishbowl" office for athletics trainers.
  • The facility comes equipped with hot/cold hydrotherapy tubs.
  • The hydro tubs are large to accommodate a number of athletes at a time.
  • Inside a football locker. Each locker either has "Villanova" or "Tap The Rock" etched at the bottom, and all have two outlets inside the lock-box.
  • An area for athletes to relax, and where they will get their training table meals on game days.
  • A large meeting room on the top floor will accommodate multiple teams and host events for donors and/or season ticket holders.
  • The top floor event space has an outdoor balcony that overlooks the field.
  • A view from the balcony to the scoreboard. The team will start entering the field from the doors below soon.

Years in the making, the much anticipated Villanova Stadium West End Zone Building (we need a better name!) will officially open next weekend during Homecoming as Villanova Football hosts Albany.

Reader James Harvey sent in a couple of the following photos for your consumption, as he was able to get an early look at what the building has to offer. Here's his commentary on each photo:

Photo #1: Taken from the steps outside Jack Nevin toward the football field, shows a two-story weight-training room. Contactors were laying blacktop as I visited, I assume for parking spaces, and you can see fresh blacktop glistening on the ground. The bricks on the building are clearly intended to match the red-brick Nevin building. I then wanted to get inside the stadium in the hopes of getting a picture of the outside of the facility from the football field.

Photo #2: Shows the facility from the track. The two large black screens are the scoreboards and signage that light up during games. I'd have been quite happy to snap that shot and leave, but who should come wandering up the sideline but Associate Head Coach Mark Ferrante. A nicer and more affable guy would be hard to meet. I introduced myself, congratulated him for the success of the program and wished him well when he assumes the Head Coach position next season. I explained that I wanted a picture of the facility. He waved toward an open door and said, "Go on inside and take a look around." "That's OK?" I responded. "Why not?" he said, "Everyone else does!"

Photo #3: This is the football locker room.

Photo #4: This iss the trainer's room (I also took a shot of the whirlpools, but it didn't turn out.)

Photo #5: This shows the view of the football field from the reception area. There is a large event space on the third floor above this reception area where guests and donors can watch games, but that was locked.

Photo #6: This is the football team meeting room. I think it seats 100 people.This is going to be a wonderful addition to the football program and a great benefit to all the men's and women's teams.

Ah, yes. What about the new buildings across Lancaster Avenue from the campus?

Photo #7: Taken as twilight fell, this shows the parking garage under construction. I have the sense that all the concrete has been poured and, on some columns, the stone cladding has already been added. This cladding will apply the architectural motif of the main campus to the new buildings.

That's about it for the $300 million so far, but clearly the garage needs to be completed and operational before that unsightly parking lot along Route 30 is destroyed and replaced with Fr. Peter's new vision. The year 2017 will mark Villanova's 175th birthday. As our university heads toward the two-century mark, it's "national university" status will be matched by impressive facilities that integrate the campus on both sides of Route 30.

Enjoy!

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