The most important question on Villanova’s campus this January: “Where were you when the Marriage Pact dropped?” This algorithm has taken Villanova by storm in the past few years, and 2025 was no exception. More than 2,500 Villanova students signed up, but how many actually got matched?
The Marriage Pact is a survey divided into a few sections, including how one feels about relationships, humor, and even politics. What really generated interest was how dominant the female applicant pool was. For students that listed themselves as heterosexual, 639 more women signed up than men. That means, by Jan. 27, just a day before the Marriage Pact was supposed to drop, every single man who applied for the Marriage Pact had a 1:1 match, and 639 women would be left without one. The Marriage Pact quickly extended the deadline for just one more night, hoping to remedy the skewed ratio, and the last day for sign-ups saw another 200-plus applicants.
But those last minute applicants didn’t even the numbers, as many women were still left without any romantic match at all, so the Marriage Pact’s solution? Friendship matches. Those who were left in the unmatched pool across all categories were then matched based on friendship status.
“It was slightly frustrating because all of my friends got date matches that they were excited about,” a freshman who received a friend match said. “A date match could have been a little more exciting.”
While the Marriage Pact was promising a budding romance, many people ended up with new people they could now reach out to make long lasting friendships. There were even options to anonymously send the Marriage Pact out to any Villanova student, which led to many inboxes being filled with letters from secret admirers.
Though those who did get matches were nonetheless excited. On Jan. 28, inboxes were finally filled with the names of Villanova’s newest romances (according to generative A.I.). The news was dropped at 9:15 p.m. Where were you? Many on South Campus were sitting at spit’s late night, while some may have already been fast asleep. Once the news spread, it was all students on campus could talk about.
“Participating [in the Marriage Pact] was a lot of fun since it felt low-pressure and became a conversation starter with friends and classmates,” one student said. “…it gave everyone a chance to meet new people.”
On a campus that is founded on the principles of community, the Villanova Marriage Pact chooses to emulate that spirit, albeit in a quirkier way than we may be used to. And though the person the algorithm matched may not be your future partner (or friend), the Marriage Pact still brought students together. Those experiencing their first Marriage Pact even got to hear the stories of upperclassmen who participated before them, and all the stories that have arisen since.
“I think it’s just a silly way to bring people together on campus,” a sophomore said. “This year was kind of disappointing because the ratio of men to women who filled it out was skewed. Regardless, at the end of the day it’s just supposed to be fun.”
While maybe not everyone was satisfied with their marriage pact match, one thing can be for certain, the entire experience was a fun journey. Those not up to date on the Marriage Pact emails, should feel lucky they weren’t the person matched with their ex, or their sibling.
