Conference expansion will never go away.
Villanova University is officially considering a step up in status, beginning the process of deciding whether to join the Big East Conference in football.
That’s according to a report from Phily.com, which indicates that Villanova had already been informally considering the upgrade for about a year. The school will now “officially start the due-dilligence process.”
“The Big East very recently communicated its interest in adding Villanova as a football member,” Villanova athletic director Vince Nicastro told the Daily News yesterday. “As a result, we have decided to embark on an in-depth evaluation of this opportunity.
“As you might suspect, this is a complex issue, which entails many dimensions – both quantitative and qualitative. While we will move forward on this as quickly as possible, it is critical that all of those dimensions are vetted thoroughly prior to making any final decision.”
If Villanova were to take the step, according to the site, the school would have to play one season at the FCS level and then a mandatory two-year provisional period. The earliest VU could gain full BCS status would be 2014.
Where Villanova would play is an issue. Temple calls Lincoln Financial Field home. Sources said that makes it unlikely Villanova also would play there. Villanova Stadium has a capacity of 12,000, and the prospect of enlarging it apparently is not feasible. The NCAA requires 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home games for FBS schools. The attendance requirement must be met in 1 year over a 2-year period.
A viable venue is the new PPL Park in Chester, which holds 18,500 for Union soccer games. And there is room for a few thousand portable seats, as well as a potential for more permanent additions.
Villanova, then, is embarking on a very challenging journey, a slow, difficult path beset with many obstacles, including a full range of academic, community and financial issues and challenges. Â But at least the process has finally begun, officially.
I thought Villanova was already in the FCS. One of the top teams in that division from what I hear.
They still have to play one at least more season at the FCS level even if they decide to move up in class. At a minimum.
Let the study begin! There would be no basketball team addition, in this potential scenario.