:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/43607444/DSC_1933-copy.0.0.jpg)
In 2015, Villanova won't be hosting it's traditional rival, the University of Delaware to close the football season. Fellow CAA Football program, James Madison released its 2015 football schedule, and the Dukes are set to host the Wildcats on November 21st -- the final week of the football season. They will travel to Delaware a week earlier as well.
Villanova won five-straight meetings with the Blue Hens between 2006 and 2009, and is 7-1 against them in the last eight editions of the rivalry. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 25-21-1 (with the tie coming in a 1976 game). The game was moved to the final week of the season in 1999 and has been there every year since.
Until next Fall, when the game will be scheduled for September 19th, according to the University of Delaware's release. The move is caused by Villanova's decision to elect to exercise it's right under CAA rules to select that date as it's one guaranteed home game week -- so that they can host Parent's Weekend the week before Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Philadelphia (the 'Cats will host Penn the week after, during the Papal visit).
A CAA spokesman stated that the meeting would return to the end of the season in future years.
There is no word yet on whether Villanova will attempt to move the rivalry game off-campus as it has with it's last two home games in the series. Both were played at PPL Park, the 18,500-seat home of the MLS Philadelphia Union, with a both drawing a decent crowd and expanded tailgating. The frigid November winds blowing off of the Delaware River surely drove more than a few fans away from the beautiful new stadium in Chester, however.
With the MLS season still ongoing, however, there may be some difficulties with moving the game to PPL Park. The previous two games there were held after the professional Soccer season had ended.
FCS teams are only permitted to play 11 games in 2015, and will not be allowed to schedule 12 games again until the 2019 season. Both the 2013 and 2014 seasons were 12-game seasons for FCS schools.