BE Ninth Team gotz to be or should be Villanova

[BullDoug]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292460218

Side note...Gotta root for the 'Noles Monday nite.  Wanna a Top 15 Nole team for our Bulls to dine on in four weeks.

[Cow Pie]

I don't have a problem with adding them... however aren't they based out of Pittsburgh?

[E.T.]

'nova doesn't want to ... they've had Howie Long(biggest Football Alum) even push for it.

I would like it, but it's a dead issue.

[Guest]

I don't have a problem with adding them... however aren't they based out of Pittsburgh?

No, they are from Philly...

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There are a few issues:

Nova has no $$....

Nova's stadium is way too small

Nova has no $$....

Nova is a small, private school... about 10k total students

[Greg Auman]

I think you would have to see Villanova make a move to become a I-A team before you'd see a serious push to have them added to the Big East. Joining the I-A ranks means funding an additional 18 scholarships every year and making a commitment to larger attendance than what they've had.

Villanova Stadium only seats 12,500 fans, and they averaged about 6,700 last season. You have to average 15,000 to be certified for I-A football. Moving to the Big East would obviously bring bigger crowds if they found a bigger home, but there are a lot of logistical hurdles before they would be a viable football member in a BCS league.

Again, being a good I-AA program does not mean you're a program that would make the Big East better, but merely bigger.

[NormalBull]

For a long time I have said that Villanova would be ideal if they made the commitment to football.  They would bring in the Philly area market and would be a good rival for Pitt, WV and Rutgers if they were to get up to par.  Obviously no new hoops team would be added which is imperative.  Georgetown would work too, but they are a non-scholarship I-AA so aren't even in the same universe as Villanova. Villanova has a decent football history up to the mid-60's too.  Oh well, we will be stuck at 8 for awhile.

Normal

[KyleC]

This is a heck no from me... they beat a HORRIFIC Temple team.  We need more teams from the south in the Big East... Like ECU!

[Bullpride08]

Temple would have been a natural too....but for some unworldly reason they can never get their act together when it comes to football.  Nova, Gtown have always fielded competitive 1-AA football teams....but none fully fund the scholarships at that level and would have trouble meeting the NCAA minimum for 1-A, let alone the additions to women's athletics that would need to come as well.  And the fan commitment.  I think it's just to much of a risk for those private universities.  If you see a 1-AA team make the jump it will more than likely be a state school like a Rhode Island, or Umass that gets state funds.

[80mins]

Consider that Villanova was one of the last holdouts to make the financial commitments to upgrades (I think it was something like fully funding scholarships and/or coaches) needed for the Big East lacrosse league to get underway. No way they're ready/willing/able to fund big time college football.

[smazza]

it would killconference to ADD  an expansion team to an already weak conferece