In an official statement, Kevin Willard said, “This is a great opportunity for two elite programs to start a kid series and play home and home.” The addition of Kansas to the out-of-conference schedule leaves Villanova with neutral site games against Notre Dame (in Rome) and Wisconsin (Xfinity Mobile Arena), a home game against Michigan, and road games against Pittsburgh and Kansas.
The Wildcats had a budding rivalry with the Jayhawks in the latter stages of Jay Wright’s tenure, with Villanova winning three of five regular season games and splitting four NCAA Tournament games over the course of his Wildcat coaching career. The all-time series record is even at 5-5.
Kansas recently secured a commitment from the no. 1 prospect in the 2026 class Tyran Stokes, so they figure to be in the contender conversation as per usual under Bill Self.
Official release here: https://villanova.com/news/2026/5/20/mens-basketball-wildcats-to-meet-kansas-in-home-and-home-series.aspx