Villanova Wildcats football

History

The Wildcats football team played their first game 132 years ago in November 1894 coached by Mike Murphy. They continued to play as an independent team for 87 seasons,

participating in several Bowl Games and sending numerous players into professional football, including Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long, a second round selection in the 1981 NFL draft.

On April 14, 1981, the program was officially disbanded due to weak attendance and monetary reasons cited by the university board of trustees. Athletic Director Ted Aceto had stated they had sold only 750 season tickets for the 1980 season with 95 scholarship players; the Wildcats' 1980 season record was 6–5.

Under heavy pressure from alumni and students, the program was reinstated by the board of trustees in April 1984 and sponsored a sold out Blue-White intrasquad game for Homecoming that November. Led by head coach Andy Talley, they began playing a limited schedule of regulation NCAA games in September 1985. The reborn program had instant success, beginning with an undefeated five-game schedule against Division III competition, and beating the Navy junior varsity. The program moved up to Division I-AA (now FCS) and joined the Yankee Conference in 1987, beginning official competition in 1988.

Led by quarterback Kirk Schulz and wide receiver Robert Brady, the Wildcats reached the I-AA playoffs in 1989, bowing to eventual champion Georgia Southern in a spirited, high scoring game.

With All-American linebacker Curtis Eller, the 'Cats returned to the I-AA playoffs in 1991 and 1992, bowing each time to eventual champion Youngstown State.

All-American wide receiver Brian Finneran led the Wildcats to the I-AA playoffs in 1996 before bowing to East Tennessee State.

The 1997 season marked Villanova's first undefeated, untied regular season, as well as their first time reaching No. 1 in the I-AA rankings. The 1997 'Cats featured two future Payton Award winners- Finneran and freshman running back Brian Westbrook. The Cat's defeated Colgate in the I-AA playoffs before falling a 3rd time to nemesis Youngstown State.

Andy Talley era (1985–2016)

Villanova head coach Andy Talley completed 37 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including 32 seasons at Villanova. The winningest coach in school history and the winningest coach in CAA history, Talley's Villanova record stands at an impressive 230–137–1. Throughout his Main Line career, Talley guided the Wildcats to twelve NCAA playoff appearances, six conference championships, three Lambert Meadowlands Cup, three ECAC Team of the Year awards. Included in the NCAA appearances are three NCAA semifinal appearances and the 2009 National Championship.

A graduate of Haverford (Pa.) High School just five minutes from the Villanova campus, Coach Talley is a native of Bryn Mawr. When he was head coach, he could feel responsible for every facet of the Villanova program, having started it from scratch after he was hired on May 29, 1984 as the school's 29th head coach. Talley led Villanova teams to NCAA FCS (Formerly Division I-AA) playoff appearances in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Following his National Championship success in 2009, Talley received numerous coaching honors. Highlighting the list was the AFCA National Coach of the Year Award. Talley also earned this award in 1997 and becomes just the 17th coach to win the award twice. He also garnered the 2009 CAA Coach of the Year, the Sportsman's Award from the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and the Maxwell Club President's Award.

In 2008, Talley was named the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year, the Field Turf/Howie Long FCS National Coach of the Year and the Maxwell Club Coach of the Year. Talley's all-time College Coaching record stands at 218–135–2 including his 5 years at the helm of St Lawrence College where he had advanced to the D-III National Semifinals in 1982.

Football upgrade controversy

Following the 2009 NCAA championship season, Villanova has considered moving into the Football Bowl Subdivision and joining the Big East Conference in football. Villanova Stadium located on-campus stadium seats only 12,500, less than the 15,000 requirement for an FBS-eligible team.

In September 2010, the Big East informally discussed the possibility that Villanova might become a football member. The school undertook a feasibility study involving the costs involved with such an upgrade. An upgrade of the football program would require building new football facilities and corresponding increases to its women's sports program due to Title IX issues, as well as a move to a larger game venue in the region with speculation focused on the new PPL Park soccer stadium.

Prior to the scheduled April 12, 2011, Board of Trustees vote on the football upgrade, several Big East football schools objected to the Villanova plans to use PPL Park. That venue seats 18,500 and Villanova proposed an expansion of the capacity, which was never fulfilled after the upgrade fell through.

With the ongoing uncertainty of the Big East Football Conference after losing founding football members Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia, the Villanova Board of Trustees has never voted regarding the topic of moving to FBS.

In December 2012, Villanova's administration announced its intentions to split away from the now-former Big East (now The American Athletic Conference) configuration along with the other 6 "basketball centric" Big East Schools to form their own all-sports conference highlighted by their deep basketball traditions. For the present, Villanova will continue to compete for National Championships in the College Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Colonial Athletic Conference ("CAA"). This decision had the effect of ending the question of whether Villanova should move up to the FBS for football.

The new basketball centric Big East has proven to be a great success for Villanova University catapulting the Men's Basketball program to the top of the NCAA winning National Championships in 2016 and 2018.

Championships

National championships

The Wildcats won their first national championship on December 18, 2009 under Andy Talley. The team defeated the Montana Grizzlies in the national championship game in Chattanooga by a score of 23–21.

Conference affiliations

NCAA Division I-A Independent (1894–1980)

Football program was dropped following the 1980 season and reinstated for 1985 season

NCAA Division I-AA Independent (1985–1987)

Yankee Conference (1988–1996)

Atlantic 10 Conference (1997–2006)

CAA Football (2007–2025)

Patriot League (2026–present)

After playing as an independent from 1985 to 1987, Villanova Football joined the Yankee Conference for the 1988 season before winning Conference titles in both 1989 and 1991.

In 1997, the Yankee Conference was absorbed into the Atlantic 10, following the NCAA's rule changes regarding single-sport conferences. In 9 years with the A-10, Villanova won 2 conference championships (1997, 2001).

In 2005, all A-10 football schools agreed to switch conferences after the 2006 season and became charter members of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Wildcats qualified for the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2008 through 2010.

Villanova won the CAA Championship during their 2009 national championship season. Villanova won a share of another CAA Championship in the 2012 season with a 6–2 Conference record.

Postseason

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs

The Wildcats have made 17 appearances in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs, with a combined record of 17–16. They were FCS National Champions in 2009 and have reached the Semifinals 4 times (2002, 2009, 2010 and 2025).

Bowl games

Villanova Football played in 5 bowl games through its history, compiling a record of 2–2–1.

Villanova's history in bowl games began on January 1, 1937, when the Wildcats participated in the Bacardi Bowl for their first bowl appearance. Played in Havana, Cuba as the climactic event of Cuba's National Sports Festival, the game almost never came to be because of a bloodless revolution led by Fulgencio Batista.

The ‘Cats opponent, Auburn University, had rolled up an impressive 7–2–2 record and had closed out the 1936 regular season with six shutout wins on their schedule. Villanova, under coaching great Clipper Smith, piled up a sterling 7–2 record, and had earned victories over the likes of Penn State, Boston University, Detroit and South Carolina. Like Auburn, Villanova boasted of an outstanding defense, one that recorded four shutouts and had not allowed any opponent more than seven points.

At halftime, Auburn led 7–0. Late in the fourth quarter, with time running out for the Wildcats; Auburn had possession of the ball inside its own 15-yard line. Facing second down and eight yards to go for a first down, Auburn mentor Jack Meagher called for a quick kick, a play Auburn had used successfully on a couple of occasions in the first half. Shifting into the quick kick position at the Auburn goal line, Villanova’s John Wysocki and Valentine Rizzo blocked the kick and lineman Matthew Kuber grabbed the ball at the two-yard line and went in for the touchdown. William Christopher kicked the all-important point after and the Wildcats had gained a 7–7 tie."

In a match-up of Wildcats, Kentucky defeated Villanova 24–14 in the Great Lakes Bowl played at Cleveland Stadium with attendance of 14,908 on December 6, 1947. Villanova, coached by Jordan Olivar, brought a 6–2–1 record into the game. Kentucky of the Southeastern Conference was in its second season under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and brought a 7–3 record into the game.

In the first quarter Kentucky's George Blanda kicked a 27-yard field goal. At halftime Kentucky led 3–0. In the third quarter Kentucky's Jim Howe had a 29-yard touchdown run; Blanda's point after kick gave Kentucky a 10–0 lead.

Rivalries

Delaware

Villanova plays Delaware in the "Battle of the Blue." The all-time series between Villanova and Delaware dates back over 100 years to the first meeting between the teams on November 23, 1895. The Wildcats lead the series by a current margin of 24–21–1 and have won six out of seven against the Blue Hens since the inception of the Battle of the Blue Trophy.

As CAA conference rivals in FCS, the teams have met each season since 1988 and Villanova head coach Andy Talley is 13–12 in his career versus Delaware. The 2011 game played at PPL Park in Chester, PA was the first American football game to be played in that venue.

Temple

The Wildcats finished a four-year series in which they play the Division I-A FBS Temple for the Philadelphia "Mayor's Cup" on Temple's home turf at Lincoln Financial Field. Villanova won the inaugural game in September 2009 in front of a crowd of 27,759 on a last second field goal by Nick Yako. The Wildcats lost the 2010 game on late field goal by the Owls in front of a larger crowd of 32,193. Temple won the 2011 game in convincing fashion for the FBS program in front of an announced crowd of 32,638 and followed that up with another solid win in 2012. Prior to the "Mayors Cup", the two teams last met in 2003 when Villanova tallied a 23–20 upset win in double overtime over the FBS program.

The Philadelphia programs first met on November 8, 1928 in a game that ended in a 0–0 tie. They met for 16 consecutive years but suspended the series after the 1943 game won by Villanova. The series was reignited in 1970 with a Wildcat win and continued for 11 years through the 1980 game also won by Villanova, in Howie Long's final game as a collegian and, as it turned out, Villanova's final game in Division I-A. The Wildcats continue to lead the all-time series vs Temple 16–15–2, including two recent wins over the FBS Owls by the FCS Wildcats. The series resumed in 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in its now-traditional Labor Day Weekend slot.

Penn

Villanova also plays intra-city rival University of Pennsylvania in a match-up with "college football's most historic program." The majority of the games with the Ivy League powerhouse are played at historic Franklin Field on the campus of Penn. The teams first met on November 18, 1905 in a game won by Penn. The Quakers won the first five meetings through 1911 and then the two teams did not play again until 1980 when Villanova won their first game of the series. The teams renewed the series as FCS (I-AA) teams in 1999 and Villanova has won all 13 games since then in some very close battles. Villanova holds a 14–5 lead in the series versus Penn after their 2014 victory.

Facilities

Villanova Stadium

Historic Villanova Stadium was built as part of a school expansion program in 1927 and dedicated on October 8, 1927.

On May 7, 1930, the playing field at Villanova Stadium was dedicated to the memory of Leo Francis Goodreau, a Villanova football player who died due to injuries incurred in practice in 1928 season.

On September 27, 1980, the running track was dedicated to Villanova's track and field coach James "Jumbo" Elliott.

In Fall 1999, the Stadium underwent a facelift with the Stadium Renovation Project. Included in this project was a state of the art press box, in addition to housing an 80-person meeting room for all Villanova Athletic Department personnel to use. The former AstroTurf playing field was replaced during the spring of 2002 with a synthetic grass surface known as AstroPlay. The stadium received a new scoreboard along with a new playing surface for the Fall 2009 sport seasons. The stadium seats 12,500.

Talen Energy Stadium

Villanova football debuted at Talen Energy Stadium, originally known as PPL Park, as an alternate home stadium on November 19, 2011, in the annual Battle of the Blue rivalry game vs Delaware. Villanova is planning to play a select group of future football games at the venue.

Talen Energy Stadium is home to the MLS Philadelphia Union and has served as one of the key catalysts of the revitalization of the Chester Waterfront located 15 miles south of Center City, Philadelphia. The stadium has a natural grass playing surface and current seating capacity of 18,500, with further expansion plans in discussion. The first expansion phase would add 1,500 additional seats, the 2nd phase would add 7000 additional seats, and a 3rd phase could bring the stadium to an eventual 30,000 total seats. However, only the first phase has a determined timeline by the Philadelphia Union. The stadium has 29 luxury suites, an 11,000 square foot full-service club restaurant, state of the art LED signage, and innovative experiential zones. Expansive grass areas and large promenades surround the stadium for tailgating.

All-Conference and All-American Selections

FCS All-American Selections

2021 - Forrest Rhyne (1st Team Defense - Linebacker)

2021 - Christian Benford (1st Team Defense - Cornerback)

2016 - Tanoh Kpassagnon (1st Team Defense - Defensive End)

2016- Austin Calitro (1st Team Defense- Linebacker)

2015 - Don Cherry (american football) (2nd Team Defense - Linebacker)

2014 - John Robertson (2nd Team Offense - Quarterback)

2014 - Don Cherry (american football) (2nd Team Defense - Linebacker)

2014 - Vince Kowalski (3rd Team Offense - Offensive Line)

2022 CAA All-Conference Selections

Jaaron Hayek (1st Team - Wide Receiver)

Michael Corbi (2nd Team - Offensive Line)

Dez Boykin (2nd Team - Kick Returner)

Matthew Mercurio (3rd Team - Kicker)

2021 CAA All-Conference Selections

Michael Corbi (1st Team - Offensive Line)

Justin Covington (2nd Team - Running Back)

Rayjoun Pringle (2nd Team - Wide Receiver)

Todd Summers (2nd Team - Tight End)

Colin Gamroth (2nd Team - Offensive Line)

Cole Bunce (2nd Team - Kicker)

Daniel Smith (3rd Team - Quarterback)

Jaaron Hayek (3rd Team - Wide Receiver)

Forrest Rhyne (1st Team - Linebacker)

Christian Benford (1st Team - Cornerback)

Malik Fisher (2nd Team - Defensive End)

Amin Black (3rd Team - Linebacker)

TD Ayo-Durojaiye (3rd Team - Special Teams)

2020 CAA All-Conference Selections

Michael Corbi (1st Team - Offensive Line)

Justin Covington (2nd Team - Running Back)

Rayjoun Pringle (2nd Team - Wide Receiver)

Colin Gamroth (2nd Team - Offensive Line)

Dez Boykin (2nd Team - Returner)

Forrest Rhyne (1st Team - Linebacker)

Malik Fisher (1st Team - Defensive End)

Christian Benford (1st Team - Cornerback)

2019 CAA All-Conference Selections

Paul Grattan (1st Team - Offensive Line)

Daniel Smith (3rd Team - Quarterback)

Justin Covington (3rd Team - Running Back)

Changa Hodge (3rd Team - Wide Receiver)

Colin Gamroth (3rd Team - Offensive Line)

Forrest Rhyne (1st Team - Linebacker)

Nathan Fondacaro (1st Team - Punter)

Malik Fisher (3rd Team - Defensive End)

Drew Wiley (3rd Team - Linebacker)

Jaquan Amos (3rd Team - Cornerback)

2018 CAA All-Conference Selections

Aaron Forbes (2nd Team - Running Back)

Ethan Greenidge (2nd Team - Offensive Line)

Christian Benford (3rd Team - Cornerback)

2017 CAA All-Conference Selections

Ethan Greenidge (2nd Team - Offensive Line)

Ed Shockley (1st Team - Linebacker)

John Hinchen (1st Team - Punter)

Malik Reaves (2nd Team - Cornerback)

2016 CAA All-Conference Selections

Brad Seaton (2nd Team - Offensive Line)

Aaron Forbes (3rd Team - Running Back)

Ryan Bell (3rd Team - Tight End)

Tanoh Kpassagnon (1st Team - Defensive End)

Austin Calitro (1st Team - Linebacker)

Rob Rolle (1st Team - Safety)

Bryan Osei (3rd Team - Defensive End)

Ed Shockley (3rd Team - Linebacker)

John Hinchen (3rd Team - Punter)

2015 CAA All-Conference Selections

Gary Underwood (1st Team - Fullback)

Kevin Gulyas (2nd Team - Wide Receiver)

Tanoh Kpassagnon (1st Team - Defensive End)

Don Cherry (American football) (1st Team - Linebacker)

Malik Reaves (2nd Team - Cornerback)

Austin Calitro (3rd Team - Linebacker)

Jason Ceneus (3rd Team - Cornerback)

Cameron McCurry (3rd Team - Safety)

2014 CAA All-Conference Selections

John Robertson (1st Team - Quarterback)

Vince Kowalski (1st Team - Offensive Line)

Poppy Livers (2nd Team - Wide Receiver)

Ross Hall (2nd Team - Offensive Line)

Kevin Monangai (3rd Team - Running Back)

Gary Underwood (3rd Team - Fullback)

Don Cherry (American football) (1st Team - Linebacker)

Pat Williams (2nd Team - Nose Guard)

Joe Sarnese (2nd Team - Safety)

Jason Ceneus (3rd Team - Cornerback)

Individual awards

Walter Payton Award winners

The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding college offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. Villanova and Eastern Washington are the only two programs in the country to have 3 award recipients.

1997 – Wide receiver Brian Finneran; went on to play several seasons in the NFL mostly with the Atlanta Falcons.

2001 – Running back Brian Westbrook; went on to a highly successful NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

2014 – Quarterback John Robertson.

Jerry Rice Award winners

The Jerry Rice Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding freshman player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. Initiated following the 2011 season, the first two awards went to CAA players.

Quarterback John Robertson won the 2012 Jerry Rice Award as a redshirt freshman leading his team to a CAA championship and FCS playoff berth in an 8–4 turn-around season for the Wildcats who were 2–9 the year before. Robertson helped fuel Villanova's turnaround as a dual-threat signal-caller. He started 10 games in the regular season plus an FCS playoff game and he finished the season rushing for 1,021 yards and 14 touchdowns and passing for 1,965 yards and 14 more touchdowns.

Notable players

85 former Villanova players have played professional football dating back to 1920, including Howard "Fungy" Lebengood who was a halfback on the uncrowned World Champion 1925 Pottsville Maroons.

41 Villanova players have been drafted into the National Football League.

The only Villanova alumnus in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is former Raiders defensive end Howie Long.

12 players from the Talley era played in the NFL.

Terry Butler

Clarence Curry

Brian Finneran

Christian Gaddis

Ben Ijalana

Tanoh Kpassagnon

Willie Oshodin

Raymond Ventrone

Ross Ventrone

Brian Westbrook

George Winslow

Darrel Young

Although he never played professional football, Matt Szczur, a star on the 2009 national championship team, went on to a professional baseball career, winning a World Series in 2016 as a member of the Chicago Cubs, and last played in the major leagues in 2018 for the San Diego Padres.

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of January 2, 2026.