Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43
McGonigle Hall 1800 N Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19121
Year Opened: 1969
Capacity: 3,900
Give a Hoot for Temple Volleyball
Located on the campus of Temple University in the heart of Philadelphia, McGonigle Hall is home to the Owls' volleyball program, as well as the gymnastics and fencing teams. The 3,900-seat arena opened in 1969 and served as the home of Temple men's basketball until 1997 when the Liacouras Center opened down the street. Women's basketball continued to play in McGonigle until 2022 when they joined the men at Liacouras.
The volleyball arena itself is part of a larger complex that includes the full McGonigle Hall building as well as the connected Pearson Hall. These buildings include practice facilities, athletic offices, weight rooms, and classrooms.
Food & Beverage 3
There is one concession stand at McGonigle Hall at the back of the concourse behind the baseline. Only a basic menu is served here, with hot dogs, soft pretzels, and popcorn the only hot items. Candy, chips, bottled water, and soft drinks are also available. The concession stand will not open until close to game time, if not later.
There are other options inside the larger McGonigle Hall building as well. Vending machines are available in the lobby, which sells what you would expect from one, and there is a Panera Bread location that sells its usual menu, which fans can bring into the stadium. The Panera Bread caters to the whole Temple student body, not just fans attending a volleyball match, so the lines can get long. If you go this route, we recommend buying your food before the game.
Fans are also free to bring their food into the arena.
Atmosphere 4
Walking through the front doors of McGonigle Hall will put you in the lobby of the larger building. The volleyball arena itself is through a set of glass doors to your right, and you can then walk up or down to your seat, as all seating is general admission.
The lower sections are plastic bleachers with seatbacks, and are not much different from regular seats, except that there is one continuous bench to sit on, instead of individual seats. The seatbacks in the lower level fold down from the back, and fans will often stomp on empty ones during the game to generate noise.
Two scoreboards in the corners show only the basic information, while two video boards are in the other two corners. Keep in mind the part of the basic scoreboard that purports to show team fouls (a holdover from McGonigle's days hosting basketball) shows how many sets a team has won. The points total shows how many points they have won in the current set.
Before a Temple volleyball game, the lights go out in the arena and a hype video plays on the videoboards to get the crowd ready. A spotlight shines on the players as they are introduced, and then the announcer shouts "Let's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Owls," holding the O in "Go" for an impressively long time. During breaks in the action, the videoboards can be used to display trivia or other interactive content.
Neighborhood 3
Temple University is located in North Philadelphia near the intersection of Girard Avenue and Broad Street. Although this was once a very bad neighborhood, it has improved somewhat. There are multiple chain restaurants within a block of the arena, including the always-popular Raising Cane's.
Other restaurants are located nearby along Girard Street, including John's Seafood, Crown Fried Chicken, and Angie's Vietnamese Cuisine. The Met Philadelphia, a prominent concert hall, is a short walk away on Broad Street. You will find other options nearby as well, including Larry's Steaks, serving up the classic Philadelphia cheesesteak.
Fans 4
The Owls draw a good crowd for volleyball, and while the upper sections will the pretty empty, the lower sections will be mostly full. While the crowd may not be as big in numbers as some schools, these fans are loud, passionate, and rowdy.
They shout, scream, and stomp on the seats or the ground. Temple students show up in good numbers as well, which helps the atmosphere here. Interest in college volleyball seems to be on the rise, so the experience could be even better here soon.
Access 5
If driving to McGonigle Hall, you will park either in the lot right next door or in the Liacouras Center Garage about a block away. Either way, parking is $22, payable by credit card on exit. If coming from within Philadelphia, you can use the Cecil B. Moore metro station on the Broad Street Line (currently rebranding as the B), which is about a block away.
Parking in the adjacent lot may be difficult, especially on weekdays, but you should have no trouble parking in the Liacouras Garage. If there is an event going on there, parking may be more expensive, but you should still find a spot.
Restrooms are available in the lobby of the McGonigle-Pearson Halls complex. To get there from the arena, exit through the glass doors and turn right. Walk to the back of the lobby under the staircase, and turn left. The restrooms are in an alcove up ahead. If this sounds complex, the good news is the way to the restrooms is signed, but the bad news is the way back is not. Make sure to turn left out of the restroom into the alcove, then right into the main part of the building. Then head straight ahead to the arena doors.
There is very little legroom in the seating area, so getting to and from your seat can be difficult, as can getting up to let others in.
Return on Investment 3
Admission to Temple volleyball games is free, and concessions are reasonably priced, but paying over $20 for parking brings this score down significantly.
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Extras 2
A graphic featuring pairs of owl eyes overlooks the court at McGonigle Hall, glaring down from above, as a reference to Temple's unique athletic nickname.
A second star for the pregame introductions, complete with hype video and spotlight.
Final Thoughts
McGonigle Hall may not be as modern or fancy as the Liacouras Center down the street, but Temple volleyball has a good home here. With rowdy fans and a stadium setup that seems to suit them, a Temple volleyball game can be quite an exciting experience.
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