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Source: ’Nova’s Big East vote delayed

According to a source within the Big East Conference, Villanova's board of trustees will not hold an anticipated Tuesday vote on whether to move up to Division I-A and join the Big East for football because the conference's football members are not ready to sign off on the Wildcats' plans.

According to a source within the Big East Conference, Villanova's board of trustees will not hold an anticipated Tuesday vote on whether to move up to Division I-A and join the Big East for football because the conference's football members are not ready to sign off on the Wildcats' plans.

The chief sticking point, according to the source, is Villanova's plan to use PPL Park in Chester, the 18,500-seat home of the Philadelphia Union, as its primary venue.

PPL Park would be the smallest stadium in the league. Potential plans to increase the seating capacity to roughly 30,000 have not convinced all the Big East schools to support the move. However, some Big East football members are in favor, and it still could be approved, the source said.

Villanova athletic director Vince Nicastro could not be reached for comment. Big East football members held a conference call Sunday to discuss Villanova's plans.

The Big East had informally invited Villanova to move up, and had been aware for months that Villanova, a Big East member for all other sports for the last three decades, had planned to use PPL Park for most of its games.