VILLANOVA, Pa.—The very first game in the 150^th season of college football in America is the distinction that Villanova (0-0) and No. 13 Colgate (0-0) will take onto the field with them when they meet in a "Week Zero" game televised by CBS Sports Network on Saturday afternoon.  The contest will be one of four played nationwide on Saturday as the sports kicks off its year-long sesquicentennial celebration.  Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Andy Kerr Field in Hamilton, N.Y. as the Wildcats and Raiders meet for the sixth time overall and the first time in 11 years. 
 
It will be a first for Villanova to play during Week Zero, a relatively new idea in recent years for kicking off the season with a limited number of games which all air on national television.  There are two FCS and two FBS contests this Saturday, with the 12 p.m. start in Hamilton followed later in the day by games between Samford and Youngstown State; Florida and Miami; and Arizona at Hawaii.  The date – August 24 – will give 2019 the earliest season opener that the Wildcats have played in what will be their 122^nd season as a varsity program. 
 
The inclusion of Villanova and Colgate in a Week Zero matchup makes plenty of sense from a historical standpoint.  Both programs have been around since the late 19^th century and have more than 250 combined seasons on the gridiron with a total of 1,278 victories between them.  Each team also has a long tradition of success, with the Raiders owning a .570 all-time winning percentage and the Wildcats checking in at .560. 
 
The all-time series between the two schools is a limited one despite the shared history.  Villanova is 4-1 in head-to-head matchups with Colgate, including first-round playoff victories in 1997 and 2008 as well as a win in its only previous trip to Hamilton to open the 2002 season.  The lone Raiders win in the series came at Villanova Stadium in 1978. 
 
Throughout the decades it hasn't seemed to matter whether the Wildcats open the season at home or on the road.  As in, it hasn't mattered one bit.  Villanova is 59-59-3 all-time in season openers.  That includes a record of 34-34-1 when opening the season at home, compared with 25-25-2 on the road.  Consider this weekend's trip to Colgate as a tiebreaker of sorts. 
 
If the history of season openers won't provide any hints as far as what to expect on Saturday, perhaps this tidbit will: the Wildcats have gone 32-4 (.889) against the teams that currently make up the Patriot League since becoming an FCS member in 1985.  Villanova has won its last eight meetings versus PL foes since falling at Fordham during the 2013 season.  The matchup of CAA Football and Patriot League teams in the non-conference schedule has been a common one of late.  The leagues faced each other 10 times during the 2018 campaign, with CAA squads owning a 7-3 advantage.  Eight of the 12 teams in CAA Football will play at least one PL team in 2019, with the Wildcats opening the season with three straight Patriot opponents (at Colgate, Lehigh, at Bucknell). 
 
Three members of the Villanova roster have already been recognized this season, as the trio of junior cornerback Jaquan Amos (Philadelphia, Pa.), senior tight end Simon Bingelis (Brick, N.J.) and senior linebacker Drew Wiley (Pennington, N.J.) were all named CAA Football Preseason Honorable Mention selections.  Also earning mention during the preseason were junior running back Justin Covington (Bronx, N.Y.), junior linebacker Forrest Rhyne (Waynesboro, Pa.) and senior safety Chucky Smith (Newbury Park, Calif.) who were named team captains in a vote by their teammates. 
 
The schedule for the 2019 season will be a quirky one for the Wildcats, who play a 12-game slate but also have two bye weeks during the regular season.  Villanova will take a week off after the opening game at Colgate before returning to action for the home opener against Lehigh on Saturday, September 7 at 6 p.m.