VILLANOVA, Pa.—A glimpse into the beginning of the college football season was revealed on Monday afternoon with the announcement of the STATS FCS Top 25 poll.  Villanova came in at No. 19 in the preseason national ranking and was one of six CAA Football schools to land in the first poll of the 2018 campaign.  This is the sixth consecutive season and the 10^th time in the last 11 years that the Wildcats will open the season with a national ranking. 
 
The overall strength of CAA Football – and perhaps the difficulty of the Villanova schedule – was evident in the preseason poll.  Among the other five teams in the league to appear in Monday's rankings were James Madison (No. 2), New Hampshire (No. 7), Elon (No. 12), Delaware (No. 15) and Stony Brook (No. 20).  All but Elon await the Wildcats in conference play this year, along with non-conference foe Lehigh who received votes in the poll. 
 
Villanova opened preseason camp last Friday with a great deal of excitement for the 2018 season.  After injuries derailed a promising start to the 2017 campaign, the Wildcats return a number of key playmakers this year.  In a nod to the personnel lost last season that the team expects to return to the field, Villanova was the only team with a losing record a year ago (5-6) to appear in the preseason Top 25 poll.  At the annual CAA Football Media Day in Baltimore last month, league head coaches predicted a sixth place finish for Villanova in the 2018 conference standings. 
 
A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries selects the STATS FCS Top 25.  A first-place vote is worth 25 points and a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25^th-place vote.  The preseason rankings had the Wildcats with 920 total points. 
 
Individual recognition has already started to come in for Villanova entering the season.  Senior offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge (Flanders, N.Y.) and senior safety Rob Rolle (Newfield, N.J.) were each named STATS FCS Preseason All-Americans last week, with Greenidge earning a spot on the first team and Rolle garnering second team honors.  Both were previously named to the CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team. 
 
Villanova opens the 2018 season with a matchup against FBS opponent Temple at Lincoln Financial Field on September 1 at Noon, followed by a road game against Lehigh on September 8.  The home opener is on September 15 against Towson at 3:30 p.m. 
 
The 2018 Villanova Football season is  presented by Independence Blue Cross.