Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
As many of you know, the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University announced last week that they will join the Atlantic Coast Conference. The announcement caused a jolt nationwide and what ensued was a week of rumors and speculation about how the major conferences might expand and realign. As a long-standing member of the Big East Conference, we are fully aware of the impact this had on the ever changing landscape of college athletics.
Throughout this week, I have been actively engaged in efforts to ensure that Villanova is positioned to move forward aggressively and strategically. I have had numerous conversations with my colleagues around the country and continue to work proactively with the other Big East presidents. My singular goal is to protect Villanova’s national reputation both athletically and academically.
We are committed to the Big East and to its long-standing tradition of success. I want to assure you that Villanova will never waiver from its pursuit of excellence both in the classroom and in competition. We will continue looking at all options at the national and conference levels that will enhance our current position as a premier athletic program, including revisiting the possibility of moving our football program to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.
I am confident that no matter how the conferences align, Villanova's tradition of both academic and athletic success will continue for years to come.
Sincerely,
Fr. Peter Donohue, O.S.A.
President
