Villanova Scheduling: Wildcats to Face Rutgers in Preseason Exhibition

Villanova Men’s Basketball will travel to face Rutgers in a preseason exhibition on Sunday, Oct. 11, per an announcement from the Scarlet Knights. The matchup will take place at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, with the opening tip-off time not yet announced.

Rutgers has enjoyed recent recruiting success under head coach Steve Pikiell, now entering his 11th season at the helm, but they’ve struggled to turn that into actual results. Villanova head coach Kevin Willard has experience with Pikiell and the Scarlet Knights dating back to his time in the Big Ten, which could’ve helped this matchup materialize; Rutgers also used to compete in the Big East.

Based on the early date, this will likely mark the Wildcats’ first live game action of the 2026-27 season. They should play another exhibition at home, leaving them with plenty of time to hit the road and prepare for their Sunday, Nov. 1 season opener in Rome, Italy against Notre Dame.