Tom Gola Arena, The Tom, The Gola, is a 3,400-seat multi-purpose arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania situated inside the TruMark Financial Center. It is home to the La Salle University Explorers men's and women's basketball teams as well as its volleyball team. It is named after former Explorers captain and head coach Tom Gola, currently in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The building was opened on February 21, 1998, as the men's basketball team defeated Virginia Tech 74-64. La Salle's Explorers had not played basketball on campus since leaving Wister Hall in 1955, the season after the 1954 NCAA Championship. The Explorers played at the Palestra from 1955 to 1989, the Philadelphia Civic Center from 1989 to 1996, and the First Union Spectrum from 1996 until the arena opened in 1998. In 2021, the arena was equipped with two working smoke machines. In Philadelphia's 2016 Summer Olympics bid, the arena was planned to host fencing. See also List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas References https://defector.com/behold-the-glory-of-the-la-salle-university-smoke-machine/ External links La Salle University Athletics - Tom Gola Arena Sports venues completed in 1998 College basketball venues in the United States Basketball venues in Philadelphia La Salle Explorers basketball Philadelphia Big 5 Wister, Philadelphia 1998 establishments in Pennsylvania College volleyball venues in the United States