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Sports

Villanova Puts Big East Plans on Hold

A number of things still need to be hammered out.

Villanova released an official statement Monday in reference to its anticipated move to the Big East Conference for football:

announced today that no formal action regarding the University’s potential transition to the BIG EAST Conference as a football member will be taken at its April 12 Board of Trustees Meeting. Villanova recently learned that the BIG EAST Conference needs more time to do its due diligence regarding Villanova’s potential football membership. Villanova is now working with the BIG EAST to provide whatever additional information we can. It is the University’s desire that in the near future its Board of Trustees will proceed with the vote as planned. Regardless of the outcome, Villanova greatly values the positive relationship it has enjoyed with the BIG EAST for over 30 years, and looks forward to the continuation of this partnership. Until there is additional information to report, the University will not comment further.

 —Villanova University

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That statement leaves quite a lot in limbo as to what’s next for the Villanova football program. Only now, it seems, the sides have flip-flopped.

The Big East extended an invitation, and Villanova seemed hesitant to move forward. Now a number of published reports have come out recently stating that despite what Villanova wants to do, the Big East Conference may not approve, and a bulk of that concern lies with finding an appropriately large enough stadium to house Wildcat home games.

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Speculation centered on Villanova using the Philadelphia Union’s soccer stadium, PPL Park in Chester, which currently seats 18,000. The concern also stems from money, and the financial burden that will be placed on Villanova to house a Division I-A program. Villanova currently plays at the Division I-AA or Football Championship Subdivison (FCS) level, which allows 63 scholarship athletes and Division I-A or Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) allows 85.

Villanova will have to compensate for the 22 additional scholarships, and that could mean the possibility of cutting into, or eliminating another men's sport to equal the balance of scholarships to meet Title IX standards.

“You have a number of issues that still need to be ironed out, and much to Villanova’s credit, they’re trying to handle them,” a source close to the situation told Patch. “They don’t want to be too hasty in making a rash commitment to something that the school quite honestly may not be able to afford. That has to be considered in this. What also has to be considered is if football is added, another men’s [scholarship] sport will likely go.”

The Big East’s eight conference football schools (West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Connecticut, South Florida, Louisville) held a conference call on Sunday to discuss the matter of Villanova’s entry into the league, a Big East source told Patch. Texas Christian University (TCU) was not included since it will not join the conference as a full-time member until 2012-13.

The ultimate plan for Villanova’s entry would be 2014, with the Wildcats playing a Big East skeleton schedule for 2012 and 2013.

But it seems, according to numerous published reports, that the Big East is balking. The Big East booted Temple after the 2004 season. Temple was a football-only member of the conference from 1991-2004, but was forced out of the league because of poor attendance, non-competitiveness, and a lack of commitment to the football program from university officials.

Villanova won the FCS national championship in 2009 and reached the FCS semifinals in 2010. But the Wildcats also drew an average of 12,509 fans to their games last year, which includes the 32,193 that witnessed the thriller between Temple and Villanova at Lincoln Financial Field last year.

Take away the Temple game and that figure drops to an average of 8,573 for the Wildcats’ five home games at Villanova Stadium.

“They had the same problem with Temple filling Veterans Stadium and then the Linc [in 2003],” a Big East source told Patch. “Do you think the Big East wants to go through that again? Villanova is in the red playing at the FCS level--can you imagine the money they would be hemorrhaging if they made the move to the Big East and the financial commitment that means? I think Villanova does, and when they look back over the books, where is that money going to come from? It’s a shame, because Villanova has a nice program, and coach [Andy] Talley does a great job, but it’s not a big-time college football atmosphere. No one goes, and no one covers their games.”

But another major college source told Patch that if the Big East is recoiling about its offer for Villanova to join, don’t rule out the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

“With Boston College and Maryland already in the ACC, Villanova is a great media hub and centered right in the middle for a perfect fit,” said a college source close to the ACC. “If the Big East is hesitant, don’t be surprised if you see the ACC swooping in and making an invitation. Villanova is a very attractive school, in a very attractive area of the country. I’m sure the ACC wouldn’t mind that media market. Just a thought.”

So the limbo game continues, with no one saying anything and studies continuing to be made.

Villanova’s Board of Trustees was scheduled to make an announcement in April. Now it might not come until sometime this summer.

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