VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova and Kansas will meet in a home-and-home series that begins in 2026-27 with a clash at historic Allen Field House. The Wildcats and Jayhawks will battle on "Black Friday", Nov. 27 in Lawrence.
Villanova will host a return game in 2027-28.
"This is a great opportunity for two elite programs to start a series and play home and home," said Villanova head coach Kevin Willard.
The Wildcats will open the 2026-27 season at the Eternal City Tip Off in Rome against Notre Dame (the Villanova women's team will also face the Fighting Irish as part of a doubleheader on Nov. 1). The 'Cats will host defending NCAA champion Michigan, face Pittsburgh on the road and meet Wisconsin in the fall in a neutral site contest at Xfinity Mobile Arena while also playing three games in the Philadelphia Big Five. The complete non-conference schedule will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Kansas and Villanova have met 10 times, most recently in the 2022 NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. The Jayhawks prevailed 81-65 on their way to an NCAA national title. In 2018, the Wildcats earned a 95-79 win when the teams met at the 2018 NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, on their way to that year's NCAA crown.
The teams played in consecutive regular seasons, 2018-19 and 2019-20, with each team winning on its home court. The all-time series stands at 5-5.
The Wildcats will be led in 2026-27 by returning rotation regulars Tyler Perkins and Matt Hodge along with an impressive group of newcomers that includes forwards Kwame Evans (Oregon) and Devin Royal (Ohio State) along with guards Elijah Crawford (UIC), Darryl "Buddy" Simmons (St. Bonaventure) and Jake Fiegen (Cornell).
