The ongoing construction of the Finneran Pavilion has recently received a significant donation from an alumnus of the Villanova community. Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and his wife Ayahna have committed $1 million to the University in the midst of the Pavilion’s major reconstruction.

The Finneran Pavilion, renamed after alumnus William B. Finneran (’63), has been undergoing renovation funded by the University’s Comprehensive Capital Campaign “For the Greater Great: The Comprehensive Plan to Ignite Change.” Since its launch in October 2013, hundreds of millions of dollars have been contributed to programs across the University, including athletics.

The Pavilion’s renovation cost $60 million and funded entirely by philanthropic donations. Among them is the donation from the Lowrys, and the new locker room has been officially named in his honor.

University President Rev. Peter M. Donahue, OSA said of the donation, “Kyle is a prime example of the type of student we seek to develop at Villanova- someone who takes the opportunities and lessons learned while here to create success in whatever path they choose.”

A Philadelphia native, Lowry attended Cardinal Dougherty High School before committing to play for the Wildcats. As a Wildcat, he scored 543 career points and averaged 9.5 points per game. He was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshmen team, BIG EAST Honor Roll and BIG EAST All-Conference second team.

Lowry played two seasons on the basketball team before getting drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006. He has since played for the Grizzlies, Rockets and most prominently, the Raptors, where has seen his greatest success. His professional career has been highlighted by three NBA All-Star appearances and an Olympic gold medal.

Head coach Jay Wright said of Lowry, “This gift is another illustration of Kyle’s generosity to his fellow members of our basketball family. We’re all very proud of the player and, more importantly, the man, Kyle has become.”

The locker room will feature 16 lockers and audio and video systems for looking at film. The Kyle Lowry Locker Room is only a part of the major overhaul that will result in the William B. Finneran Pavilion. The refurbishments are mostly a result of the Wildcats’ National Championship win in 2016 and, according to the Finneran Pavilion website, “to transform the Pavilion into an arena that better reflects the caliber of our athletic programs.” Finneran will seat the same number of people before its renovation but will now also feature a Hall of Fame exhibit and a Recruiting Room. It is scheduled to be complete in Oct. 2018.

Kyle and Ayahna Lowry have given money to the community in the past and started the Lowry Love Foundation in 2013. The foundation is committed to helping the poor and disenfranchised in Philadelphia and Toronto.

The Wildcats and Raptors the both have enjoyed recent success, having gone 9-1 and 6-4 in their last ten games respectively. The Wildcats top the AP Poll for the second week in a row and their fifth week this season. The Raptors currently stand second in the Eastern Conference standings, behind only the Celtics.

Seeing as to how the Finneran Pavilion is being completely funded by donations, primarily from alumni, it is clear the post-graduate success of Villanovans around the world is both parallel to and manifesting itself through the University’s recent endeavors. 

About Finneran Pavilion: for further information on Finneran Pavilion visit www.finneranpavilion.com.