The Nova Blog brings up a very good point today. Why did the Big East and Nova wait until the day before their vote to make this whole stadium issue an...issue?
Let's call a spade a spade. [The Big East] should be embarrassed at what transpired on Sunday. You're spinning this story like Sunday's conference call was the first time you heard people were uncomfortable with Villanova using PPL Park. Let's say that this is true. HOW ARE YOU ONLY FINDING THIS OUT NOW?!
It's been a solid 5-6 months that PPL Park has pretty much been the only viable option for Villanova since Franklin Field is controlled by Penn and Lincoln Financial is still in a contract with Temple. So you're telling me that once you found out Villanova was going to vote yes (which by the way, has been out there in back-channels for well over 2 weeks now), you finally decided to ask if everyone was okay with this?!
Everyone and their mother have known the Wildcats planned on using PPL Park for a good 8-9 months. So, yeah, it does sound a little strange.
VUSports.com says the Big East is holding a conference call today to see if they can sort things out and officially accept Villanova into the conference. At the end of the day, I can't imagine the Big East turning them away, Pop Warner stadium or not. And if they did, it would be a huge backstab.
The problem, I think, for a lot of Big East folks, is that adding Villanova for football is a lot like investing in your 401K when you're 22. You know it's going to be a really great payoff down the road but that payoff is so far off that it doesn't really seem to matter right now. There's a part of you that would rather take that money and throw it down on the roulette table at Caesar's Palace for the chance at immediate returns on your investment (i.e. UCF). The question then becomes, what's better for you...the sure thing ten years from now or the reasonable risk right now?
My guess is, Villanova will be a Big East football member by Wednesday. But we'll see...