The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinians in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Sa ...

. They compete in the

Big East The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...

(

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I) for every sport; except

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and rowing where they compete in the

Colonial Athletic Association The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universi ...

(

Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athleti ...

, formerly Division I-AA). On December 15, 2012, Villanova and the other six, non-FBS schools announced that they were departing the

for a new conference. This conference assumed the

name on July 1, 2013.

Teams

Men's basketball

The Villanova Wildcats compete in the

Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...

and are coached by

Kyle Neptune Kyle Neptune (born January 21, 1985) is an American basketball coach who is the current head coach of the Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team. Playing career Neptune attended Brooklyn Friends School, and was a member of the school's 20 ...

. The team has traditionally divided its home schedule between its on-campus arena, the William B. Finneran Pavilion, and the

Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to: *Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California *Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California * Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California * Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California * Wells Fargo Cen ...

South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from ...

on five occasions. The 1939 team coached by Al Severance reached the inaugural NCAA Final Four played at the

Palestra The Palestra, often called the Cathedral of College Basketball, is a historic arena and the home gym of the Penn Quakers men's and women's basketball teams, volleyball teams, wrestling team, and Philadelphia Big 5 basketball. Located at 235 South ...

for the

1939 NCAA basketball tournament The 1939 NCAA basketball tournament involved eight schools playing in Single-elimination tournament, single-elimination play to determine the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. It was the first NCAA basketball national championship t ...

. All-American Howard Porter led a Wildcat team coached by

Jack Kraft John Jack Kraft (February 10, 1921 – August 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach who coached Villanova for 12 years, from 1961 through 1973. He compiled a 238–95 record (.715). Kraft led Villanova to the NCAA Tournament six times, ...

to Final Four of the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. Coach

Rollie Massimino Roland Vincent Massimino (November 13, 1934 – August 30, 2017) was an American basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Stony Brook University (1969–1971), Villanova University (1973–1992), the University of Nevada, L ...

took Villanova to a surprising 1985 National Championship. Current Coach Jay Wright reached the Final Four at the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament behind

Dante Cunningham Dante Lamar Cunningham (born April 22, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Le Mans Sarthe Basket of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for Villanova before being selected with the 33rd overall pick in ...

and

Scottie Reynolds Scottie Reynolds (born October 10, 1987) is an American professional basketball player for Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). Prior to his professional career he played college basketball for Villanova. Reynolds also ...

. The team most recently 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 Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

(at Dayton), top-seeded

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and second-seeded

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

to win the Southeast Regional en route to the Final Four in Lexington, Kentucky. After defeating 2-seed

Memphis State } The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering, the Center for Ea ...

(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 Edward Lewis Pinckney (born March 27, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player. College career He attended Villanova University and was a part of the Villanova Wildcats' 1981 heralded recruiting class that included Gary McL ...

, 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 42th 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 The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships (see AIAW Champions). It evolved out of the Commission on Interc ...

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 The AIAW women's basketball tournament was a national tournament for women's collegiate basketball teams in the United States, held annually from 1972 to 1982. The winners of the AIAW tournaments from 1972 to 1981 are recognized as the national c ...

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

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

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

and

Big 5 Big Five may refer to: Animals * the Big Five, large African wild animals said to be most difficult to hunt: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo * Big Five animals of the Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India: Indian rhinocero ...

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 Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...

, 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 The Big East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year award is given to the women's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top performer by the conference coaches. It was first awarded at the end of the 1982–83 season, ...

. 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 Bishop Machebeuf High School is an Archdiocesan school under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver, in Denver, Colorado Background Founded in 1958 as "Bishop Machebeuf Catholic High School", it is named after Bishop Joseph Projectus Machebeuf, ...

to a 96–0 record and 3 State Championships.

Football

William and Mary Military Appreciation game (7514047)

The Wildcats compete in the

and are coached by Mark Ferrente, 2nd season 5–6, who in 2017 succeeded

Andy Talley Andy may refer to: People *Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds *Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and piano ...

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 Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

Grizzlies. The Wildcats beat the Grizzlies 23–21 to win their first NCAA Division I-AA National Championship. Villanova played in bowl games following the 1936, 1947, 1948, 1961, and 1962

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

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

as head coach. The restored program began competing in 1985 at the Division III level and returned to full

Division I-AA The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athleti ...

(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 Howard Matthew Moses Long (born January 6, 1960) is an American sports analyst and former professional football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons as a defensive end, spending his entire career with the Raider ...

, formerly of the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

and All-Pro running back

Brian Westbrook Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft af ...

of the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

. Villanova plays its archrival the

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

Fightin' Blue Hens in the "

Battle of the Blue The Battle of the Blue is an annual college football rivalry game between the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens and Villanova University Wildcats. The first game was played between the two teams in 1895, was played annually from 1 ...

". 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 A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

Owls Owls are birds from the Order (biology), order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly Solitary animal, solitary and Nocturnal animal, nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vi ...

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 Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

with many of the games held at historic

Franklin Field Franklin Field is a sports stadium in Philadelphia, United States, at the eastern edge of the University of Pennsylvania's campus. It is the home stadium for the Penn Relays, and the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for American football, foo ...

. 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 The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA) Division I men's

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

. Villanova currently competes as a member of the

and plays their home games at

Villanova Stadium Villanova Stadium is a 12,500 seat stadium located on the campus of Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA. History Villanova Stadium was originally built in 1927 and dedicated on October 8, 1927. The stadium plays host to a wide va ...

Villanova, Pennsylvania Villanova is a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It straddles Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County and Radnor Township in Delaware County. It is located at the center of the Philadelphia Main Line, a series of Philadelphia suburbs l ...

. 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 Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

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 The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...

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. Through 2009, Villanova men's lacrosse was a member of the

and won the CAA tournament for their first title in 2009. The fourth-seeded Wildcats were the lowest-seeded championship team in conference history. That season, Villanova also made their first NCAA tournament appearance, where they were routed in the first round by first-seeded

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, 18–6. The 2004 team finished 13-3 playing against the stiff competition of the CAA.

Track and field

Villanova University's

Track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

team has a history of athletic success that has spanned from championships in

both Both may refer to: Common English word * ''both'', a determiner or indefinite pronoun denoting two of something * ''both... and'', a correlative conjunction People * Both (surname) Music * The Both, an American musical duo consisting of ...

incarnations Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...

of the Big East Conference to NCAA championships. The men's team has produced 69 NCAA championships, 36 indoor and 33 outdoor. The team has had 8 NCAA team championships—4 cross country, 3 indoor ('68, '71, '79), 1 outdoor ('57). Prior to NCAA sponsoring Indoor T&F in 1965, Villanova won 6 ICAAAA Indoor T&F Championships ('57, '58, '60, '62, '63, '64). Villanova has produced 28 athletes who have made appearances in the Olympics, 10 of whom have medaled (7 Gold medals, 3 Silver medals). The men's team has also won 112

Penn Relays The Penn Relays (also Penn Relays Carnival) is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. In 2012, there were ...

Championships, which stands as the most wins by any school. The men's current coaches include head coach,

Marcus O'Sullivan Marcus O'Sullivan (born in Cork, Ireland on 22 December 1961) is an Irish retired middle-distance runner. He competed for Ireland at four Summer Olympics. After Steve Scott and John Walker, he is the third all-time by total of sub-4 minute ...

, and assistant head coach, Anthony Williams. The women's team has also had a multitude of success, producing 10 Big East team Championships and 7 NCAA team Championships. They have also produced 7 Olympians including Vicki Huber,

Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan (born 28 November 1969) is an Irish former track and field athlete. She won a gold medal in the 5000 metres at the 1995 World Championships, and a silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 2000 Olympic Games. Her 2000 m wor ...

, Kim Certain, Kate Fonshell,

Jen Rhines Jennifer "Jen" Rhines (born July 1, 1974 in Syracuse, New York) is an American long-distance runner who competes in track, cross country and road running events. She has competed in three different Summer Olympics and made 15 US Teams. Rh ...

, Carmen Douma, and

Carrie Tollefson Carrie Anne Tollefson (born January 18, 1977 in Dawson, Minnesota) is an American former middle-distance runner who was on the US 2004 Summer Olympics, 2004 Summer Olympic team. Running career Tollefson was raised in Dawson, Minnesota, Dawson, a ...

. The Women's team has won 28

Championships, which is the most wins by any women's program. The current women's coaches include head coach, Gina Procaccio, and assistant head coach, Anthony Williams. The Wildcats also hold the NCAA record in the 4 × 800 m relay set at the Penn Relays in 2013 At least one Villanova athlete has competed in every

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

since 1948, winning a total of 13 medals (9 gold, 4 silver).''Villanova'' magazine, Summer 2008, "Villanovans have won 20 Olympic Medals"

Cross country

Villanova Men's and Women's Cross Country teams have a successful history of Big East and NCAA National Championships. Villanova won both the Men's and Women's

Cross Country Team Titles in 2011. The 2011 women's Cross Country team finished as national runner-up led by Sheila Reid individual title. In 2010 and 2009, the women's cross country team won the

NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship The NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship is the cross country championship held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association each autumn for individual runners and cross country teams from universities in Division I. Teams and ...

under Coach Gina Procaccio. The 2010 victory was led by individual national champion Sheila Reid of Villanova who repeated her NCAA individual crown in 2011. The Wildcats hold the NCAA Division I record for the most NCAA Team and Individual Women's Cross Country Champions with 9 NCAA Team Championships ('89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94, '98, '09, '10) and 9 NCAA individual champions, 7 of which coincided. NCAA Individual Cross Country Champions * Vicki Huber 1989 *

1990, 1991 *Carole Zajac 1992, 1993 * Jennifer Rhines 1994 *

1997 *

Sheila Reid Sheila Reid (born 21 December 1937) is a Scottish actress, known for playing Madge Harvey in the ITV sitcom ''Benidorm'' (2007–2016). An original member of the Royal National Theatre in 1963, she played Bianca in the National's 1965 film ve ...

2010, 2011 The 2011 Villanova Men's Cross Country team finished 13th in the Team competition at NCAA meet. Villanova has won 4 NCAA Men's Cross Country Team Championships covering 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1970. NCAA Individual Cross Country Champions *Victor Zwolak 1963 *

Patrick Tiernan Patrick Tiernan (born 11 September 1994) is an Australian long-distance runner. While competing for Vilanova University, he won the 2016 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. He has represented Australia in several global competitions, ...

2016

Swimming and diving

In its history, Villanova Swimming and Diving has produced several Olympians. Most recently Maddy Crippen competed in the 400m individual medley at the 2000 Olympics. At the 2008 Olympics, Villanova was represented by Kristina Lennox-Silva. Lennox competed for

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

and swam the 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly.

NCAA team championships

Villanova has 21 NCAA team national championships. *Men's (12) **

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

(3): 1985, 2016, 2018 ** Cross Country (4): 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 **

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

(FCS) (1): 2009 ** Indoor Track & Field (3): 1968, 1971, 1979 **

Outdoor Track & Field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

(1): 1957 *Women's (9) ** Cross Country (9): 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2009, 2010 *see also: ** Big East Conference NCAA team championships **

List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships Listed below are the colleges or universities with the most NCAA Division I-sanctioned team championships, individual championships, and combined team and individual championships, as documented by information published on official NCAA websites. ...

Conference realignment

In December 2012 the presidents of seven Big East schools which do not sponsor FBS football (also sometimes referred to as the "Catholic 7"), including Villanova, voted unanimously to leave the Big East and form a new conference. The new conference, which kept the Big East name, officially began on July 1, 2013.

Notable non-varsity sports

Ultimate

Villanova's men's

ultimate (sport) Ultimate, originally known as ultimate Frisbee, is a non-contact team sport played with a frisbee flung by hand. Ultimate was developed in 1968 by AJ Gator in Maplewood, New Jersey. Although ultimate resembles many traditional sports in its ath ...

(formerly known as ultimate frisbee) team, Main Line Ultimate, has competed in the

USA Ultimate USA Ultimate is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the governing body of the sport of ultimate (also known as ''ultimate Frisbee'') in the United States. It was founded in 1979 as the Ultimate Players Association, but rebranded itself ...

Division 1 regular season and Championship Series since 2003 and has existed on campus as a club since the 1980s. The club practices three times a week, competes in 3-5 tournaments a semester, and has a developmental team. Main Line Ultimate is coached by Chris Cruz '15 and assistant Ethan Fortin '17. Tryouts take place every fall semester where the team aims to introduce students to ultimate and find dedicated athletes for the team. Most new members do not have ultimate experience before tryouts.

Championship Series Finishes

Individual Awards

Rugby

The Villanova Rugby Football Club regained its official sanctioning by the university in 2010, after losing this status and being classified as a recreational sport during the 1990s.The Villanovan, University restores club charter to men’s rugby
Sep. 22, 2010 The

college rugby College rugby is played by men and women throughout colleges and universities in the United States of America. Seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants of rugby union are most commonly played. Most collegiate rugby programs do not fall under the ...

team has been able to develop a roster of over 50 players, due in part to the growing popularity of rugby at the high school level, and the Wildcats are supported by a network of rugby alumni that contribute towards the cost of the rugby program. The Wildcats are led by head coach Jack Foley, a former Villanova RFC athlete, USA 7s player, and a head coach at various programs since 1998. Recently, the Wildcats played at the 2013

Collegiate Rugby Championship The Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) is an annual college rugby sevens tournament. The CRC is the highest profile college rugby sevens competition in the United States, with the tournament broadcast live on NBC from 2010–2017, on ESPN News an ...

, the highest profile competition in college rugby, which was broadcast live on NBC from

PPL Park Subaru Park (formerly known as PPL Park and Talen Energy Stadium) is a soccer-specific stadium located in Chester, Pennsylvania, located next to the Commodore Barry Bridge on the waterfront along the Delaware River. The venue is home to the Ph ...

in Philadelphia. Currently, Villanova competes in the D1-AA Keystone Conference for both 15s and 7s rugby. The team also schedules out of conference games, such as its preseason wins over Columbia, UPenn, and Lehigh in the fall of 2016. Following its regular spring sevens schedule, the team also competes in the annual Philadelphia Cup at

which runs concurrent with the CRC. Winning the Philadelphia Cup guarantees the Wildcats a spot in the CRC for the next year.

References

External links

* {{Navboxes , titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle, Villanova Wildcats, color=white , list = {{Big East Conference navbox {{Colonial Athletic Association navbox {{Philadelphia Sports {{Pennsylvania Sports Philadelphia Big 5