The Villanova and Penn men's basketball teams are back in the Big Dance after years of Philadelphia not being represented in the NCAA Tournament.

The path to the scene inside Finneran Pavilion started 365 days prior. Three seasons that ended without a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the longest drought in more than 20 years for a Villanova men’s basketball program that became a national power under Jay Wright,

March Madness is here. Get your tickets to see Villanova vs. Utah State in the men's NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Kevin Willard of the Villanova Wildcats looks on during the first half of the 2026 Big East Men's Tournament - Quarterfinal game against

Julius Halaifonua had 21 points and 10 rebounds in No. 11 seed Georgetown’s 78-64 win over third-seeded Villanova on Thursday night in the Big East Conference Tournament.

If they can handle the Aggies, the Wildcats will have the unenviable task of trying to unseat 1-seed Arizona, which should have a cakewalk win over 16-seeded Long Island in their tourney opener. Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Arkansas and Purdue are also high seeds who lurk in the western regional.

The Aggies have earned a 9 seed in the West Region. They will face Villanova in the Round of 64 on Friday in San Diego, as announced during Sunday’s bracket reveal show on CBS. This will be Utah State’s fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 27th ticket to the Big Dance in program history.

What time does Texas Tech women’s basketball play Villanova in March Madness? Here’s the game time for 2026 NCAA Tournament opener.

It’s Villanova Wildcats vs Utah State Aggies in March Madness bracket. Here’s our prediction for the 2026 NCAA tournament basketball game.

NEW YORK — The most compelling coach in college basketball had already complemented his players for putting a “choke job” behind them and delivering a crisp and easy victory in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.