VILLANOVA, Pa.—Training for the upcoming 2021-22 swimming & diving season is in full swing and Wildcats head coach Rick Simpson announced the competition schedule for the Villanova men's and women's teams this week. The women will open the season with a dual meet at Connecticut on Saturday, October 16 while both teams will be in action on the road at Georgetown on Saturday, October 30.
 
It will be a welcome return to a traditional schedule for the Wildcats after an abbreviated season which was condensed into a window of less than two months last spring. In addition to the dual meets against BIG EAST opponents Connecticut and Georgetown to start the year, the Villanova men will take on Providence in a road dual meet on January 15. The home opener for both the men's and women's teams will be on Wednesday, November 10 when the Wildcats host Penn at the Villanova Swim Complex.
 
The home meet schedule includes the competition against the Quakers in addition to a men's and women's dual meet versus La Salle on Tuesday, November 23 at 1 p.m. just before the Thanksgiving holiday. After the calendar flips to 2022, the women's team will host Richmond on January 14 at 3 p.m. The final home event of the season is on Sunday, January 30 when Villanova hosts its annual SprintFest.
 
One of the bigger competitions on the Wildcats schedule is the three-day WVU Invitational from November 18-20. The meet is an early test for the teams and a chance to compete in a multi-day format that will help Villanova prepare for the rigors of the BIG EAST Championships later in the season.
 
The conference championships return to the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow, N.Y. from February 23-26. Live action from the BIG EAST Championships will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by FloSports. Villanova has won eight consecutive BIG EAST women's titles since 2014 while the men's team has recorded recent second place finishes in 2018 and 2021.