Villanova announced that Hoops Mania, an annual event that signals the start of basketball season, will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 at the Finneran Pavilion.
Hoops Mania programming typically includes introductions of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, some scrimmages, a dance battle, a dunk contest and a three-point competition. The night is usually capped off by a performance from a musician, whose identity is kept a secret until they go on stage. Last year’s performer was rapper Rick Ross, while the year before that saw Meek Mill.
While Hoops Mania is intended to raise excitement about the upcoming basketball season, it falls much earlier in the semester this year than it typically does. Villanovans will have to wait 37 days between Hoops Mania and the men’s home exhibition against Robert Morris scheduled for Oct. 27. If those struck with basketball fever only care for games that will appear in the ‘Cats’ record at the end of the year, they will have to wait even longer. The men’s team will wait 45 days in between Hoops Mania and its season opener against Lafayette, while the women’s team will have 51 days to wait before its season opening contest against Wake Forest.
In previous years, Hoops Mania has happened in October. The 2021 event took place on Saturday, Oct. 21. 2022’s iteration was on Friday, Oct. 1. Last year, Hoops Mania happened on Saturday, Oct. 23.
The early placement of the event is a result of a cluttered calendar of fall campus activities and an NCAA rule change.
The NCAA is allowing for public events to be held earlier in the season than previously permitted.
Midterms and Fall Break also affected this year’s Hoops Mania. Students will go on break this year after their last class on Friday, Oct. 11, and return before classes start on Monday, Oct. 21. This eliminates the second and third weekends of October as viable dates.
Holding the event the first weekend of October would fall close to the men’s Blue and White scrimmage, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 8. The men’s exhibition against Robert Morris falls on the final Sunday of October. The last weekend of September is the University’s Family Weekend, which leaves the best viable option before the season is underway as this Friday, Sept. 20.
It is worth noting that the men’s team’s preseason exhibition game this season is the first exhibition since 2019. That year, Hoops Mania featured rapper Swae Lee and fell on Saturday, Oct. 5. This season’s home exhibition against Robert Morris on Oct. 27 aligns with the 2024 homecoming weekend.
It is worth noting that Villanova has held Hoops Mania in September before. In 2017, Hoops Mania was Saturday, Sept. 30. The team started its competitive schedule on Nov. 1 that year.
A late winter break is not friendly to the basketball programs, either. The men’s team will open Big East play at home against Seton Hall on Dec. 17, which is the third day of final exams. It will also host DePaul (Jan. 4) and UConn (Jan. 8) at the Finneran Pavilion while students are on break. While the conference schedule for the women’s team is yet to be made available, it will also likely feature some home break games. The women’s team will host JMU in its final non-conference game on Sunday, Dec. 15, which falls during the exam period.
The men’s team will play five times at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia this season. The first trip to the sports complex will be for the Big 5 Classic on Saturday, Dec. 7. The ‘Cats will then host four Big East opponents at the Center, starting with Providence on Friday, January 17. On Saturday, Feb. 1 the ‘Cats will host Creighton, followed by Xavier on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. Villanova’s final game at the Center will be against Marquette on Friday, Feb. 21.
It remains to be seen if this year’s early start to the basketball calendar captures the attention of students effectively after three seasons of decline from the men’s program and a women’s program that was ravaged by a mass transfer exit.
