Villanova Basketball’s 2019-2020 Schedule: September Update

It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for, schedule release day! Both the Big East Regular Season schedule and the Full Villanova 2019-2020 schedules should come out today. The Big East schedule will be released at 12:45 PM ET as part of a twitter broadcast, much like they were last year:

If last year is the model, then we can also expect Villanova to release its full schedule shortly after the Big East releases theirs. We already have most of the non-conference nailed down as other teams have begun to release their schedules, but there are still a few missing pieces. Here’s the schedule as we know it so far:

UPDATE (9/5, 9:09 AM ET): Hoops Mania will be on 10/5!

While the full schedule is on its way, there are some cool new twists we’ve learned about for our September update. Let’s get into what we know that’s new and what to watch for during today’s schedule releases. We start with the Big 5.

A Mini Big 5 Gauntlet

Last season was the first time in school history that Villanova played all four of its Big 5 games in succession. That’s not going to happen this time around as Villanova won’t play Temple until mid-February. However, the team has scheduled its other three Big 5 games into a single week of Philly fun:

• Vs La Salle - Sunday, 12/1/2019
• Vs Penn - Wednesday, 12/4/2019
• @ St. Joe’s - Saturday, 12/7/2019

It’ll be an intense week of basketball, especially coming off the Thanksgiving break. But I have to say I really like this trend of grouping these games together. It’s probably as close as we’re going to get to the old double header games at the Palestra, and maybe we’ll even get that one year!

Villanova lost the Big 5 championship for the first time in five seasons last year when they fell at Penn, so of course they’ll be looking to regain the title this season. Having all of these games back-to-back-to-back probably doesn’t help that goal, but it probably doesn’t hurt either. Penn and St. Joe’s should both have improved teams this year, and of course it’ll interesting to see how Temple fairs under their new head coach, Aaron McKie.

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday!

When Nova’s full schedule is released, most fans are hoping to see an increase in Saturday home games over year. In 2018-19, Villanova only played 4 home games on a Saturday, and only two of those (Quinnipiac and Butler) were at the Wells Fargo Center where non-season ticket holders have a better chance at seeing games. It would be great if that number could bump up this season.

To Nova’s credit, there are already a lot more opportunities in the non-conference this season to see Nova play. They already have three home Saturday games on the 2019-2020 schedule, as well as a close by neutral game:

• vs Ohio - Saturday, 11/16/2019 (Likely at The Finn)
• vs Delaware - Saturday, 12/14/2019 (Newark, NJ)
• vs Kansas - Saturday, 12/21/2019 (Wells Fargo Center)
• vs UConn - Saturday, 1/18/2019 (Wells Fargo Center)

Those last two should be great tailgate events in South Philly. As an added bonus for any Philadelphia 76ers fans, the Kansas game is the first of a double header at the Wells Fargo Center on 12/21, with the Sixers playing later that night.

What Else To Watch For?

There are a few other key pieces we’re missing from the schedule that we should find out today. Here’s what we should be looking for:

Blue/White Scrimmage Date - This event is our first chance to see the team take the court, and usually happens in mid-October. If I had to guess, I’m going with Saturday, October 12th, a week before the team flies out to California for their scrimmage with USC.

The Second Exhibition Game - There are two forms this game can take. The first would be an open exhibition against a non-D1 school, likely at the Wells Fargo Center right before the season opens (so late October). The other option is a secret scrimmage that won’t be announced. If you don’t see another exhibition on Nova’s calendar after the USC game, keep a look out for a secret scrimmage like UNC and UVA last season.

The Army Game - I’m going to guess this is Villanova’s home opener, as it’s the only non-con game we don’t have a date for yet. It will probably land somewhere between Tuesday, November 5th (official opening of the season) and Saturday, November 9th. The Wildcats will then head to Ohio State for their game on the 13th.

Seton Hall Home and Home - Every year there’s a challenger for Nova’s Big East Crown, and this year that looks like the Pirates. Villanova and Seton Hall have had one of the Big East’s most intense rivalries in recent years, and that should get dialed up a notch this season. Circle these dates on the calendar, they’ll be important!

We’ll have full coverage of Villanova’s schedule following this afternoon’s schedule release, so be sure to check back later today for all the details!