The Wells Fargo Center[7][8] (Spectrum II (prior to construction), formerly the CoreStates Center, First Union Center and Wachovia Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Before its construction, the proposed arena was tentatively called "Spectrum II".[9] The Center was originally named for CoreStates Bank, which agreed to pay $40 million over 21 years for the naming rights, with additional terms to be settled later for an additional eight-year period at the end of the contract.
However, the contract has gone through multiple hands due to various bank mergers; first by First Union Bank in 1998, Wachovia in 2003, and currently by Wells Fargo in July 2010.[7][8][10] Installation of the new Wells Fargo Center branding began on July 27, 2010, with the removal of the Wachovia Center signage, followed by the installation of the new Wells Fargo Center signage. Work was completed in September 2010.[11]
Facilities
Wells Fargo Center prior to a 76ers game on the old floor design.
The Center officially seats 20,318 for NBA and NCAAbasketball and 19,541 for NHL hockey[5] and indoor NLL lacrosse. With additional standing-room admissions available in luxury and club-box suites, the total paid capacity increases. The Center has 126 luxury suites, 1,880 club-box seats, and a variety of restaurants and clubs (both public and private) available for use by patrons. In addition, the offices, studios, and production facilities of NBC Sports affiliate Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia are all located in the facility.
Flyers fans leaving Wells Fargo Center after Playoff Game in 2010.
On June 9, 2010, the Center set the record for the highest attendance for an indoor hockey game in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania (20,327) when the Flyers lost Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime.[12] The Center also set a record for the highest attendances for a college basketball game in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania on February 13, 2006, when Villanova University played and defeated the #1 ranked University of Connecticut before a crowd of 20,859.[13]
On August 1, 2006, Comcast Spectacor announced it would install a new center-hung scoreboard to replace the original one made by Daktronics. The new scoreboard, manufactured by ANC Sports, is similar to other scoreboards in new NBA & NHL arenas. An additional linear LED display lining the entire arena was also installed between the suite and mezzanine levels. Other renovations for the Center's ten-year anniversary included upgrading the suites with more flat screen HDTV's, as well as changing ticket providers from Ticketmaster to New Era Tickets, which is owned by Comcast Spectacor.
The PA announcer at the Center for Flyers games is Lou Nolan, who moved with the team from the Spectrum, where he worked since 1972. Matt Cord is the PA announcer for 76ers games. Jim Bachman is the PA announcer for Villanova basketball games. Kevin Casey handled PA duties for the Philadelphia Wings during their tenure.
Concerts
Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel sellout banners hanging in the rafters
The arena has a concert seating capacity of 21,000 seated and at least 21,499 standing.
On August 13, 1996, a private concert by Ray Charles was the first event at the Center, with a crowd of nearly 12,000. Each spectator was given a commemorative key acknowledging they helped "open the arena". The inaugural concert, on September 2, 1996, featured Oasis, with The Manic Street Preachers and The Screaming Trees, before an estimated crowd of 12,000.[1] The Center has since held other concerts by many famous artists.
On December 6, 2002, hard rock band Guns N' Roses was scheduled to perform there on its Chinese Democracy Tour. The opening bands CKY and Mix Master Mike performed, but the main act, Guns N' Roses, never appeared, fueling a riot in the arena and causing about $30,000 to $40,000 in damage. No reason was ever given for the non-appearance by Guns N' Roses, other than the public announcement that one of the band members was ill.[14]
In 2006, Billy Joel set a record when he sold-out his eighteenth Center concert.[15]
In addition, hanging from the rafters of the Center are two banners in the orange and black colors of the Flyers honoring both Billy Joel's 48 Philadelphia sellouts and Bruce Springsteen's 53 Philadelphia sellouts respectively.
Tenants
The Flyers playing the New Jersey Devils at the Wells Fargo Center
Villanova University Wildcats of the NCAA; High-attendance home games for which the on-campus arena, The Pavilion, is inadequate to accommodate are played at the Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL); The Flyers' AHL development club played some regular season and Calder Cup playoff games at the Center each season between 1996 and 2009 when the Spectrum was unavailable because of other events.
Capacity
The capacity for 76ers games has gone as followed:
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