Villanova football considering joining Big East

To compete on a higher level, Villanova knows it would have to upgrade its infrastructure (weight rooms, practice fields, etc.). It also would need to fund 22 more football scholarships, and as many additional women's scholarships to comply with Title IX. The opportunities to increase revenue also would be much greater.

To help offset Villanova's transition costs, sources said one way the Big East could help is to schedule home games against the Wildcats that would include guaranteed payouts.

Villanova's basketball program is part of the equation regarding the football decision.

If the Big East football schools ever went their separate ways, as many have projected, that would leave the Wildcats in the non-football half of the 16-team conference. That means Villanova would lose basketball opponents Connecticut, Syracuse, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida.

With Villanova's renewed national basketball profile, it would be important for the school to protect its brand and the football program could help.

The process to decide whether to play big-time football figures to be complicated for Villanova. At the same time, it could be a simple yes or no. Either way, the ramifications could be profound. *