McGonigle Hall
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| McGonigle Hall | |
|---|---|
| Location | 1800 Broad St Philadelphia, PA 19121 |
| Opened | December 2, 1969 |
| Owner | Temple University |
| Operator | Temple University |
| Tenants | Temple Owls (Recreation & offices) |
| Capacity | 3,900 |
McGonigle Hall is an athletic facility on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Opened on December 2, 1969 with an upset win over the St. John's Redmen (now known as the Red Storm), the venue served as the home of basketball and other sports events until it was replaced by The Apollo of Temple, a larger and more modern facility now known as the Liacouras Center, in 1997. Interestingly, due to its small size, even after the arena opened, the team continued to play the majority of its games at the Palestra, its primary venue from 1955 to 1984. In 1984, the team decided to move permanently to McGonigle in order to have more of a home-court advantage under legendary coach John Chaney. (The team continues to play several Big Five games annually at the Palestra.)
After the Liacouras Center opened, the facility was renovated and now is home to a campus recreation center and sports offices.
McGonigle Hall was named for Arthur T. McGonigle, a Temple University benefactor, trustee, and pretzel magnate from Reading. For basketball events such as selected 1987, 1990, and 1992 Atlantic Ten Conference men's basketball tournament games, its capacity was 3,900.
