Villanova to play again at Jake Nevin

So, what were you doing on Jan. 4, 1986?

That was the last time Villanova's basketball team played a game in Jake Nevin Field House. The program was less than a year removed from its first national championship. The Wildcats beat Marist, 87-71.

Now, they're 17 months removed from their second title. And on Nov. 29, they'll return to Nevin for the first time since then, when they host Penn.

Their adjacent on-campus home, the Finneran Pavilion (which opened on Feb. 1, 1986), is undergoing a renovation that will keep them from using it this season. They already have a home game scheduled for Nov. 17 against Lafayette at the PPL Center in Allentown. The others likely will be at the Wells Fargo Center, their other home court since 1996.

The full schedule is expected to be released sometime late next week.

The women's team will play its home games at Nevin this season, though it will host Lehigh at PPL on Nov. 17 as the opener of a doubleheader. Nevin opened in 1932.

"I walk into Jake Nevin every day," said athletic director Mark Jackson, who took the job two years ago. "My office is there, and I've always been enamored with its great character. I've wondered what it would be like to play a game there. So there was something tugging at me, in the back of my mind.

"After consulting with Jay [Wright], he and I felt it was a great opportunity to turn back the clock and create a unique environment. We really wanted to make this student-centered, in terms of our approach. Jam the Jake. We talked to Grace at Penn [AD M. Grace Calhoun], and she was very supportive."

Nevin's capactity is 1,500, roughly 25 percent of what the Pavilion can hold. But there is a stage behind one basket.

"We want to maximize the access to as many as we possibly can, within the context of making sure the fire marshal is signed off on it," Jackson said. "We have to make sure it's a safe environment. And television has changed, in terms of the location of cameras. So there are some things we still need to figure out. But we're excited to try.

"We're going to bring some former players back. I think this could also be a chance to recognize Rollie [Massimino] and his family. That's very important to both Jay and I, that we handle everything the right way. It'll have challenges, but I think it'll be memorable for our team and the campus to do something like that. The early feedback has been very positive from our community."

Massimino, who of course was the coach in 1986, passed away Wednesday after a long battle with cancer.

"The tradition … is one of our program's greatest strengths," Wright said in a statement. "Many of the players and coaches who built the foundation upon which we stand today called the Field House home. By returning to the Jake for one night, we hope to give today's Nova Nation a greater appreciation for our history."

The game will not be part of the Villanova season-ticket package. A limited supply of tickets will be made available in the coming weeks on villanova.com.