Possible Football Program Upgrade
Villanova has considered moving into the Football Bowl Subdivision and joining the Big East Conference in football. Villanova Stadium located on-campus stadium seats only 12,500, less than the requirement for an FBS-eligible team. In September 2010, the Big East informally discussed the possibility that Villanova might become a football member. The school undertook several feasibility studies involving the costs involved with such an upgrade. An upgrade of the Football program would require building expensive new football facilities and increases to its women's sports program due to Title IX issues, as well as a move to a larger game venue in the region with speculation focused on the new PPL Park soccer stadium. Prior to the scheduled April 12, 2011 Board of Trustees vote on the Football Upgrade, several Big East Football Schools objected to the Villanova plans to use PPL Park. That venue currently seats 18,500 but is expandable up to 30,000 seats in 3 separate increments but there is no specific timeline available when that expansion would begin or if it would be completed. With the on-going uncertainty of the Big East Football Conference after losing founding Football members Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, the Villanova Board of Trustees has put any future votes regarding the topic of moving to FBS on hold.
Read more about this topic: Villanova Wildcats Football
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—Donald Hall (b. 1928)
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—Federal Writers’ Project Of The Wor, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)