Nineteen-eighty-five, 2016 and 2018: years etched into the memories of Villanovans past and present. They are years that define not just our men’s basketball program but also our identity as a university. Decades of success in men’s basketball are what our university is known for – men that come from across the country to play at our school. However, amid the spotlight on the men’s basketball program, students attending Villanova have become so blinded by the light that they often begin to neglect the other incredible athletic programs here.
As a first-year student, I was thrilled to come to a university with so much spirit and pride. I went to a high school that did not have a huge student fan base, and I always longed for a community that came together to show pride for the institution that we attended. I was disappointed when I attended our first football game of the season, against Youngstown State. The stands were filled with predominantly-freshmen students, and the crowd was completely cleared out by halftime. Villanova men’s football was ranked second in its conference last year, with a 6-0 record in home games and an overall season mark of 10-3. This year, Villanova is already 3-0 and first in the conference. I was shocked to not see more people excited to come support the team and watch the team play. Yet, football is not the only athletic program often overlooked by the student body.
Our men’s track and field team has won 69 NCAA Championships, including 36 for indoor and 33 for outdoor. The program also has a history of Olympians and record holders, an incredible reputation, if you ask me. The track and field program is known as one of the most, if not the most, successful athletic program at Villanova. Yet, I don’t see the student section picking outfit themes or planning to gather to watch their meets.
Hayden Souza, a freshman on the men’s track and field team, acknowledged the reasoning behind the attention the student body gives to the basketball program.
“It’s obviously understandable as to why our basketball team gets way more publicity than a sport like track, given how successful our team has been this past decade and the popularity of the sport,” Souza said.
Yet, at the same time, Souza expressed his experience as being a student athlete on an often unnoticed yet very successful team.
“However, it’s definitely a little frustrating that track and cross country don’t draw nearly as much attention as the other sports here, especially since we have historically been one of the best programs in the country for a long time,” he said.
One of the major reasons that basketball receives such a large student turnout is because many of the athletes end up going to the NBA draft and having very successful careers after leaving the program.
“[But,] most students probably wouldn’t know that we had a guy, Liam Murphy, on the team this year compete in the final of the 1500m at the Olympic Trials,” Souza said. “Another, Dan Watcke, competed in the 800m Final of the U20 World Championships less than two weeks ago.”
Souza’s perspective serves as a stark reminder that keeping up with and acknowledging the accomplishments of other athletic programs is not just the right thing to do, but well-deserved and earned.
It is my belief, that as members of the student body, that it is our responsibility to take the same time we carve out for basketball events and delegate some of that time to other sporting events as well. Whether that be a women’s volleyball game in the Jake Nevin Field House or heading over to a track and field meet at UPenn, there are so many opportunities for us to support our peers. Supporting the other athletic programs doesn’t take anything away from our basketball program and it doesn’t mean that we support them any less. I have grown up cheering for Villanova basketball and I will continue to hold up my “V” at every game. However, by raising the other athletes up, we will strengthen ourselves as a community. It is etched into everything that makes us Villanovans, our unitas is what makes us who we are as a school and as a community. We must use the power of our unitas and the power of being Villanovans.
