76ers reportedly talked into staying in South Philly Complex, backpedaling 76 Place at Market East
Rendering of 76 Place at Market East courtesy of 76place.com
On Eagles-Packers Wild Card game day, we still cannot escape 76 Place news.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and Comcast President Brian Roberts have reportedly talked the 76ers into staying in the South Philly Sports Complex, according to Ernest Owens of Philly Mag.
Mayor Cherelle Parker is expected to give a press conference tomorrow at 11 am.
This is out of nowhere. You can add 76 Place to stadiums in Philadelphia that never happened. An arena in Camden, New Jersey, a center-city Phillies stadium, a Temple football stadium, the list goes on.
Most recently, the Philadelphia City Council approved the 76ers’ proposed arena, 76 Place on Market East, with a 12-5 vote on December 19.
The plan was the demolition of parts of the Fashion District, where this new arena is going, would start in June 2026. Officials said construction would start in the summer of 2028 and the 18,500-seat arena was planned for completion in the summer of 2031, when the Sixers’ lease at the Wells Fargo Center ends.
Now, the Sixers could be staying at the Wells Fargo Center. But how?
According to Owens’ report, Silver, Goodell, and Roberts came together and talked the Sixers out of Center City, and back into South Philly with the Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers.
“I’m so livid right now I don’t even know what to do,” Jimmy Harrity, an at-large member of City Council, said to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I feel as though I was used as a pawn.”
Per the Inquirer, this movement sounds like it was led by Silver. Roberts makes sense since the Wells Fargo Center is owned by Comcast. Meanwhile, Goodell has nothing to do with the NBA or Comcast but was involved in getting the Sixers back to the South Philly Sports Complex.
Nonetheless, all big four teams in Philadelphia will remain in the same parking lot. The unique and historic complex remains. This is a win for fans, this is a win for Philadelphia, and a loss for Sixers ownership, which makes everyone happy.
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Benjamin Goldstein
Benjamin has been covering Philly Sports for Philly Sports Reports since 2017. He is a podcaster, writer, and founder of Philly Sports Reports. Benjamin is also an intern at the WBCB Sports Network on 1490AM. Through Philly Sports Reports, Benjamin has gotten the opportunity to meet Phillies owner John Middleton in his suite and be honored as the Philadelphia sports fan of the week for KYW News Radio. He hopes to be reporting on Philly sports as a full-time job in the future.
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