According to sports experts, “the most important building in the history of college basketball” is located on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, near the Franklin Field sports stadium, in the University campus, in the very west of the city. Learn more at iphiladelphia.
The Palestra hosted men’s and women’s basketball matches, Eastern regional and subregional competitions as well as NCAA tournaments. It is not just an arena or gym for the US basketball teams but also the place “where college basketball was born”.
Construction and reconstruction of the basketball arena
The history of the Palestra sports arena began back in 1927. To this day, it remains one of the legendary sports facilities of the USA. Opened in 1927, it is the oldest and largest operating arena of the college.
In the past, it was considered one of the largest in the world, but over time it was surpassed by other buildings of this type. The arena is located in the western part of the city, on the University of Pennsylvania campus, not far from the center on 32 Street. Today, the site is closely associated with Hutchenson’s Grammar School.
During its history, the Palestra has hosted more NCAA tournaments and games than any other arena. The building was created by the American architect Charles Clouder, who is also known as the author of university premises, campus projects, etc.
What does the word “Palestra” mean? It is the name of a private gymnastics school for boys in ancient Greece. The gymnasium was designed for physical exercises and its program included wrestling, running, javelin or discus throwing, swimming and others. This name was given to the Philadelphia sports arena by Professor William N. Bates.
The arena was built of steel and concrete. It is interesting that the Palestra is the first arena that was built of these materials. It has no internal columns, which can disturb the spectators. The Palestra is huge. It had a seating capacity of 10,000 people, but it was decreased to 8,700 seats as a result of the repair work.
At the beginning of the 2000s, the Palestra underwent a total reconstruction. As a result, the Philadelphia basketball museum was opened in the main lobby of the building. It had symbolic implications since its history is closely intertwined with the sports arena. The Palestra is frequently called the place where student basketball was born.
The first historic match
The first match for the arena took place at the beginning of 1927. It capped the victory for Pennsylvania, which beat Yale University with a score of 26-15. 10,000 American fans watched this historic game. Without any exaggeration, the first match at the new stadium impressed everyone and was the object of discussion in the city and its surroundings for a long time.
The most significant matches and games at Philadelphia’s arena
Professional games were held at the Palestra until 1967 when a new Spectrum arena was built in Philadelphia too. It was much bigger, so the sports life was gradually moving away from the Palestra. However, there were times when it drew more out-of-state attendance than any other sports arena in the United States. Today, it continues to attract a lot of visitors.
The Palestra hosted mainly men’s basketball matches. It is the home of the Philadelphia Big 5, the place where almost all of the Atlantic 10 conference tournaments took place from 1989 to 1995, the place of the Intercontinental Cup third round in 1968 and the MEAS basketball tournament of 1985. The Palestra still serves as a regular basketball training base or is used for competition preparations.
The Big 5, an informal association of Philadelphia college athletic programs, has played all of its games exclusively at the Palestra. The association consists of La Salle, Pennsylvania, Temple, Villanova and St. Joseph’s universities. Their men’s basketball teams are the oldest and the most successful in the country.
They have been closely connected with Palestra since 1955 till nowadays. Most of the matches of this famous union were played on its floor. The athletic director of St. Joseph’s College, Don DiJulia, noted that the Big 5 was a big part of Philadelphia life. They were considered, without exaggeration, the most serious opponents in student sports.
In 1968, Philadelphia’s arena gladly hosted the third FIBA Intercontinental Cup among men’s basketball teams. The Spanish professional basketball club Real Madrid and the Italian Simmenthal Milan were engaged from the European side and Botafogo and one of the oldest basketball teams of the USA, Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, from the American side.
The final match took place on January 6, 1968. Akron Goodyear Wingfoots and Real Madrid competed in the Superfinal. The oldest American team won by a significant margin with a score of 105:73. Akron Goodyear Wingfoots won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 1968 title.
In 1985, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament was held in the Palestra. Its winner automatically becomes a participant in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, which would determine the national champion.
The teams of Howard University and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University met on the floor of Philadelphia’s basketball arena in 1985. The game ended with a 71-69 victory for North Carolina.
Another important tournament that went down in the history of Philadelphia basketball and the Palestra arena took place on January 7, 2017. It was the Big Ten Conference, the Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Over the years, it has traditionally consisted of ten universities, hence its name. All those who are included in the Big Ten have great financial support and a good academic reputation.
Also, the Palestra hosted a game between Pennsylvania and Michigan in 2017. In total, more than 52 games have been played at the arena since the end of the season and this is more than any other court can boast.
The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball movie
If you want to learn more about America’s oldest sports arena, the Palestra, you should visit it and absorb the spirit of real American basketball. However, if you don’t have such an opportunity, you can watch a documentary about Philadelphia’s historic arena, which was directed by Mikaelyn Austin and ESPN Classic Sport was the first to stream it in 2007.
It will be especially interesting for fans of American sports and basketball fans.
The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball is available in English. It demonstrates the evolution of college basketball, using the arena as a key element. This is the story of how the Palestra became a venue for the game that conquered the hearts of Americans.
The film includes more than 25 interviews with famous college basketball personalities, such as Bill Bradley, Naismith John Chaney, Jack Ramsay, Chuck Daly and others. Their interviews are accompanied by historical inserts. It tells not only how the arena became popular but also how its popularity decreased in the end.