Wells Fargo Center has undergone a number of name changes over its history, starting out as the CoreStates Center in 1996 before becoming First Union Center and Wachovia Center. Thankfully, the bank mergers ended long enough for it to finally settle on being called the Wells Fargo Center. Located at 3601 Broad Street in Philadelphia, the Center is part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex that includes Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park. By putting all the city's major sports stadiums and arenas together, city planners made it much easier for the city's die-hard sports fans to catch the games of their choice.
In addition to being the primary home to the city's NBA and NHL teams, Wells Fargo Center is also the home court of Villanova University's basketball teams as well as the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League. The arena seats 20,318 for basketball games and 19,541 for hockey and lacrosse games, and is well-known for its luxury and club-box suites. Currently, the arena has 126 luxury suites and just over 1,800 club-box seats, giving those who can afford it an even better view of the game they are watching. Fans also have their choice of many local and national restaurants from which to get their food during a game, with many opting for Philly Steak and Cheese sandwiches, which have become the game food of choice for many fans.
The Center is currently in the midst of undergoing many renovations, including the installation of a new scoreboard above the court and upgrading the luxury suites with new flat-screen televisions. While recent years have been a bit bleak when it comes to pro sports in Philadelphia, the city's fans are nevertheless optimistic about what lies ahead. With an arena as fan-friendly as Wells Fargo Center, fans attending the games will no doubt have plenty of reasons to keep hope alive for the 76ers and Flyers.