If you are reading this article, there is a high chance that you have entered one of Villanova’s ticket lotteries through the ‘Nova tickets app or purchased tickets externally. It is very easy to identify when ticket winners are announced because suddenly everyone is either selling a ticket or asking every club’s GroupMe if there are any leftover tickets.
The most desirable of all lottery games at Villanova are the men’s basketball games played at the Wells Fargo Center, in south Philadelphia. The Wells Fargo Center is a large arena most often the host for the Philadelphia Flyers and the 76ers, which play all of their home games there.
As a freshman, I have only experienced a select few of these games and the respective tailgates, but even so, these games can be rather overhyped. The men’s basketball team has performed better at the Finneran Pavilion on campus and travelling to the Wells Fargo Center is often not worth it.
With no traffic, the drive from Villanova’s campus to the Wells Fargo Center ranges from 30 to 40 minutes. Thirty minutes without traffic can easily become one hour when accompanied by the almost constant Philadelphia traffic on all highways leading into the city throughout the weekend when the Wells Fargo Games occur.
In addition, paying for Ubers can become expensive, even when splitting the cost with friends. Any Uber heading in the Philadelphia direction will cost a minimum of $30 and will increase if there is traffic. This is often a conflict for students who want to make it to the tailgates in time before the game begins.
Many of you are probably reading this article thinking that anyone who pays upwards of $30 for an Uber to the Wells Fargo Center is insane for not taking the SEPTA from campus. I had the same thoughts, as well, until I took the SEPTA from South Campus straight to the Wells Fargo Center. It isn’t necessarily accurate to say “straight,” because we had to transfer trains a minimum of two times before arriving.
Unless you are from Philadelphia or know someone who is, it can be difficult to navigate the subway system and transfer to the correct trains that stop in South Philadelphia. When three friends and I attempted the SEPTA alternative instead of Uber, we had to keep our eyes on anyone with Villanova merch. If there had been no Villanova students on the train with us, it would have been much more difficult to know what we were doing. Although these may seem like trivial complaints, they are contributing factors to the overall Wells Fargo experience.
Although the Campus Activities Team does a great job supplying shuttles for students to and from main campus to the Wells Fargo Center, advertising these rides and increasing the number of buses could possibly decrease the number of confused students attempting the SEPTA. If students are more aware of the various options on campus for transportation into the city, the issues above may lose relevance.
While the excitement surrounding Villanova men’s basketball games at the Wells Fargo Center may seem appealing on the surface, the reality is that the experience is often overhyped and not as accessible as it can be. Although impressive, the Wells Fargo Center is far from convenient for many students, creating challenges that diminish the overall enjoyment of the games.
Instead of focusing off-campus, we can bring things closer to campus in the Finneran Pavilion increasing attendance and the overall vibe surrounding the games.
