Throughout the past few months, Philadelphia 76ers fans have expressed their desire for change from management to the top end of the roster. While Philadelphia could make great additions to its roster with the 2025 NBA Draft lottery less than a week away, this change is in an area most unexpected to the casual fan. Not only does this turn of events impact the 76ers community, but it will also change the iconic sports complex in South Philadelphia forever.
Wells Fargo Center no more
Today, Comcast Spectacor and Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE) announced that Wells Fargo Center – home of the 76ers – will be rebranded to “Xfinity Mobile Arena”. This change will be in effect on September 1st through the 2030-31 season. Xfinity Mobile will bring “cutting-edge” WiFi capabilities to the arena with hopes that fans will have a strong connection from the parking lot to their designated seats.
“This arena is an anchor in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and broader region,” said Dan Hilferty, Chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor. “As we complete our historic relationship with Wells Fargo, we wanted to ensure that our new partner matched our enthusiasm for delivering world-class service to our fans and guests. We are committed to continuing investing in our venue to ensure we’re at the forefront of technology, innovation, and cutting-edge fan experiences. We couldn’t be more excited that Xfinity Mobile’s brand will become the centerpiece for sports and entertainment in Philadelphia.”
After moving out of the Spectrum in 1996, the 76ers moved into Wells Fargo Center – which was originally called “Spectrum II” – right in time for the 1996-97 season. Philadelphia has remained there since then, but the arena has gone through many names such as CoreStates Center, First Union Center, Wachovia Center, Wells Fargo Center, and now Xfinity Mobile Arena. Aside from the 76ers, this arena is also home to the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia Wings, the Philadelphia Big 5 tournament, and occasionally the Villanova Wildcats.
This won't matter too much longer
While this change will impact the 76ers for the next few years, there are still plans in place for their proposed arena in South Philadelphia. On January 13th, HBSE and Comcast revealed that they have established a joint venture to build a “world-class, state-of-the-art arena”, which is expected to open in 2031. Presumably, the 76ers will be comfortable in their new home in time for the 2031-32 season.
For now, fans can spend the next few days debating on what they want to abbreviate the Xfinity Mobile Arena to. Suggestions have ranged from “the X”, “Xfinity Arena”, “the XMA”, to a contingent of fans who are still insisting on calling it Wells Fargo Center. Regardless of what end of the spectrum you fall into, the main focus should now be on the upcoming draft lottery on May 12th, which could almost single-handedly determine the 76ers’ future.