The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East (NCAA Division I) for every sport; except football where they compete in the Patriot League and women's rowing where they compete in the Coastal Atlantic Association. In addition, women's water polo competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Teams Men's sports Women's sports Baseball Basketball Basketball Cross country Cross country Field hockey Football Lacrosse Golf Rowing Lacrosse Soccer Soccer Softball Swimming & diving Swimming & diving Tennis Tennis Track & field Track & field Volleyball Water polo
Men's basketball
The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big East Conference and are coached by Kevin Willard. The team has traditionally divided its home schedule between its on-campus arena, the William B. Finneran Pavilion, and the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia, for larger draws. During the 2017–18 season, the team played its entire home schedule that season at the Xfinity Mobile Arena following the reconstruction of the Pavilion scheduled to be completed in time for the 2018–19 school year. Former head coach Jay Wright took the Wildcats to 12 postseason appearances including 7 consecutive trips (2005–2011) and 5 consecutive trips (2013–2017) to the NCAA tournament. The 2011–12 team struggled and missed the postseason but Coach Wright brought a surprising young team back to the 2013 NCAA tournament. Villanova has appeared in the NIT 17 times, winning in 1994, and won the Big East Tournament in 1995, 2015 and 2017. The Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA Men's Tournament 37 times, the 8th highest total in NCAA history have reached the Elite Eight 13 times. They have been to the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on five occasions, most recently in 2022, Wright's last season as head coach. The 1939 team coached by Al Severance reached the inaugural NCAA Final Four played at the Palestra for the 1939 NCAA basketball tournament. All-American Howard Porter led a Wildcat team coached by Jack Kraft to Final Four of the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. Coach Rollie Massimino took Villanova to a surprising 1985 National Championship. Wright reached the Final Four at the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament behind Dante Cunningham and Scottie Reynolds. The team won the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for their third national championship.
Villanova won the 1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament with a historic 66–64 win over top-seeded Georgetown. The eighth-seeded Wildcats (unranked in the final AP poll) beat Dayton (at Dayton), top-seeded Michigan, Maryland and second-seeded North Carolina to win the Southeast Regional en route to the Final Four in Lexington, Kentucky. After defeating 2-seed Memphis State (now known as Memphis) in the national semifinals, Villanova met defending champion and ten-point-favorite Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing, in the title game on April 1, 1985. The Wildcat squad remains the lowest overall seed in tournament history to win the championship, and their overall team shooting percentage of 78.6% remains an NCAA tournament record for a single game. This Championship Game is often cited among the greatest upsets in college basketball history. Ed Pinckney, who shot 5-of-7 and had 16 points in the game, was named the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
On April 4, 2016, the Wildcats won their second NCAA Championship in Men's Basketball, the first time in 31 years. They beat the North Carolina Tar Heels 77-74 off a buzzer-beater shot by Kris Jenkins with 0.5 seconds remaining in regulation. Two years later, on April 2, 2018, Villanova earned its third national championship beating the Michigan Wolverines 79–62.
Women's basketball
The Villanova Wildcats women's basketball team are coached by Harry Perretta, now serving his 42nd year as head coach of the team. For the 2017–18 season, they will play their home games at Jake Nevin Field House on the Villanova campus while the future Finneran Pavilion is undergoing $65 million renovations. The Women's basketball program started in 1969 and played under CIAW and AIAW through 1981–82 season before moving to NCAA Division I. In the 81–82 season, the Wildcats posted an outstanding 29–4 record and reached the Final Four of the 1982 AIAW women's basketball tournament before losing to eventual National Champion, Rutgers. Through the 2009–10 season, the Villanova Women have a 669–413 alltime record since the program started in 1969. Previous head coaches include Liz Cawley (1969–70), Jane Sefranek-Stoltz (1970–75) and Joan King (1975–78). The 1982–83 season was the initial season for Villanova Women's basketball to play NCAA Division I and they joined the Big East Conference that same season. Villanova was the Big East regular season and tournament champions in both 1985–86 and 1986–87 behind All-American Shelly Pennefather.
During the 2008–09 season, Coach Perretta led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament for the ninth time in his Villanova career. This marked the ninth postseason appearance in the previous 10 years for the Wildcats. After playing in the 2000 WNIT, Villanova went to four consecutive NCAA tournaments from 2001 to 2004 before playing in the WNIT in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
The 2002–03 season was a special one for the Wildcats. In addition to an impressive 28–6 overall record and a 12–4 Big East Conference mark, the Wildcats won their third Big East Conference Tournament championship and first since 1987 with an improbable 52–48 upset over previously unbeaten Connecticut. The win snapped Connecticut's then NCAA Division I women's basketball record of 70-straight victories and ended Connecticut's streak of nine-straight conference tournament championships.
The dean of the Big East and Big 5 coaches, Harry Perretta has brought the Wildcats national respect and success during his tenure at Villanova which began in 1978 at the age of 22. Coach Perretta reached a coaching milestone on November 12, 2011, with a win over Iona, representing the 600th win of his career. He is the 35th coach in the history of women's basketball at any level to reach the 600 win plateau, including the 22nd to accomplish the feat at the Division I level. Perretta is only the seventh NCAA Division I coaches to have 600 victories all at one school. On February 8, 2012, Perretta reached another milestone as he became the seventh coach across all NCAA divisions to coach 1,000 games at the same institution. Perretta was named the 2009 Big East Conference Co-Coach of the Year. That was the third time in his career that he has garnered Big East Coach of the Year distinction. He has led the Wildcats to fourteen seasons of 20 wins or more. Since joining the Big East in 1982, Perretta has compiled a 200–175 conference record through 2010.
Shelly Pennefather, was recognized in 1987 as the nation's top women's college basketball player, winning the Margaret Wade Trophy and earning Kodak All-America honors. Pennefather was the first 3-time winner of the Big East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year. She is the all-time leading scorer in the history of Villanova basketball with 2408 points. Pennefather was named the best Colorado Girls High school player of all-time and led Bishop Machebeuf Catholic High School to a 96–0 record and 3 State Championships.
Football
The Wildcats compete in the Patriot League and are coached by Mark Ferrente, who in 2017 succeeded Andy Talley the most successful football coach in school history with over 225 victories and one National championship. Since moving to I-AA, Villanova has made 12 appearances in the I-AA/FCS playoffs making trips to the NCAA Semifinal in 2002 and 2010 and winning the 2009 FCS National Championship. The Wildcats played in the NCAA Division I Football Championship game on December 18, 2009, against the Montana Grizzlies. The Wildcats beat the Grizzlies 23–21 to win their first NCAA Division I-AA National Championship. In 2025 the Wildcats went to the FCS Semifinals, and in 2026 the Wildcats moved from the Coastal Athletic Association to the Patriot League.
Villanova played in bowl games following the 1936, 1947, 1948, 1961, and 1962 college football seasons. After 87 seasons, the board of trustees voted to drop football in April 1981 due to financial losses and poor attendance. In April, 1984, the board of trustees agreed to reinstate football at the Division I-AA, now FBS level as a 65-scholarship program and named Andy Talley as head coach. The restored program began competing in 1985 at the Division III level and returned to full Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) level during the 1988 season.
Villanova football has sent 36 players to the NFL over the years, including Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long, formerly of the Oakland Raiders, and All-Pro running back Brian Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Villanova plays its archrival the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens in the "Battle of the Blue". Villanova leads the all-time series which was first played in 1895 by the margin of 23–21–1. The Wildcats have a current series where they play the Temple Owls for the Philadelphia "Mayor's Cup". Villanova won the inaugural game in September 2009 but dropped the next three games to the FBS school. Villanova still leads the all-time series that started in 1928 by the margin of 16–15–2. In recent seasons the Wildcats also play the Penn Quakers with many of the games held at historic Franklin Field. Villanova has an 11–6 lead in the series first played in 1905 and most recently in 2015.
Men's lacrosse
The Villanova Wildcats men's lacrosse team represents Villanova University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's lacrosse. Villanova currently competes as a member of the Big East Conference and plays their home games at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Coach Michael Corrado has taken the team to its only three NCAA appearances in history during his tenure and the school is poised for greater success in upcoming seasons.
Villanova rose as high as #2 ranking and qualified for an at-large bid in the 2018 NCAA tournament where they lost to eventual finalist Duke University in the first round. In 2011 Villanova rose as high as #7 ranking and qualified for an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament where they lost to the University of Denver in the first round. During the regular season, the Wildcats drew over 6500 fans to a Big East match-up with Syracuse setting a new on-campus record for Lacrosse. Brian Karalunas became the first USILA First Team All-American in Villanova history.
2009 Villanova Men's Lacrosse Quick Facts (PDF), Villanova University, retrieved May 14, 2009. Through 2009, Villanova men's lacrosse was a member of the Colonial Athletic Association and won the CAA tournament for their first title in 2009.Villanova claims first CAA title with 10-9 win over Towson , Inside Lacrosse, May 2, 2009. The fourth-seeded Wildcats were the lowest-seeded championship team in conference history.Villanova Secures First CAA Men's Lacrosse Title, National Collegiate Athletic Association, May 3, 2009. That season, Villanova also made their first NCAA tournament appearance, where they were routed in the first round by first-seeded Virginia, 18–6., The Baltimore Sun, May 11, 2009.
The 2004 team finished 13-3 playing against the stiff competition of the CAA.
Track and field Villanova University's Track and field team has a history of athletic success that has spanned from championships in both incarnations of the Big East Conference to NCAA championships.