Tom Gola Arena, The Tom, The Gola, is a 3,400-seat multi-purpose arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania situated inside the TruMark Financial Center. It is home to the La Salle University Explorers men's and women's basketball teams as well as its volleyball team. It is named after former Explorers captain and head coach Tom Gola, currently in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Tom | |
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Former names | Hayman Hall |
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Location | 1900 West Olney Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19141 |
Coordinates | 40.039993°N 75.15654°W / 40.039993; -75.15654 |
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Owner | La Salle University |
Operator | La Salle University |
Capacity | 3,400 |
Surface | Hardwood |
Construction | |
Broke ground | May 17, 1997 |
Opened | February 21, 1998[1] |
Construction cost | $6.3 million ($10.5 million in 2021 dollars[2]) |
Architect | EwingCole (Hayman Hall Addition) |
Tenants | |
La Salle Explorers (Men's & Women's basketball) |
The building was opened on February 21, 1998, as the men's basketball team defeated Virginia Tech 74-64.[1] La Salle's Explorers had not played basketball on campus since leaving Wister Hall in 1955, the season after the 1954 NCAA Championship. The Explorers played at the Palestra from 1955 to 1989, the Philadelphia Civic Center from 1989 to 1996, and the First Union Spectrum from 1996 until the arena opened in 1998. In 2021, the arena was equipped with two working smoke machines.
In Philadelphia's 2016 Summer Olympics bid, the arena was planned to host fencing.[3]
https://defector.com/behold-the-glory-of-the-la-salle-university-smoke-machine/
La Salle Explorers men's basketball | |
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NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics |
Basketball arenas of the Atlantic 10 Conference | |
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Philadelphia Big 5 | |
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