Nova Nation To Celebrate Championship With Parade And Rally In Center City
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Thousands are expected to celebrate Villanova's NCAA championship with a parade and rally this afternoon in Center City.
READ: Villanova Parade Guide
The 1 p-m parade begins at 20th and Market, makes its way to Dilworth park at City Hall, where there will be a 2 p.m. rally with Mayor Kenney, head coach Jay Wright, and the entire team.
Wright realizes this will be a special experience.
"In 8th grade, I was at the Flyers parade, hanging off the buses. I've watched the Phillies parade. That's my idea of Philly parades. It can't be that. We know that. So anything anywhere near that would be amazing."
READ: Villanova Parade Live Blog
SEPTA is adding extra service on the Norristown High Speed Line, the Market-Frankford Line and the Broad Street Line (BSL). Because of the parade, 15 bus routes are being detoured between 10:30 am and 6 pm.
SEPTA also plans to keep the 15th Street and City Hall stops open, but if conditions get overcrowded the plan is to close those stations and direct riders to the 13th Street El station, and the Walnut-Locust stop on the Broad Street Line.
Road closures in the area start taking effect at 11 am. But before that, "No Parking" signs are already up along Market at 15th Streets.