Villanova releases 2015-16 schedule

Jay Wright (above) and the Wildcats are playing in NYC and Pearl Harbor just in the first few weeks of the season. (Photo: Tug Haines/CoBL)

Stephen Pianovich (@SPianovich)
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Villanova released its entire 2015-16 schedule Tuesday, a slate that features games in the NIT Season Tipoff tournament, one in Hawaii and a Big East finale with Georgetown.

The Wildcats start their season with a pair of home games (Farleigh Dickinson and Nebraska), the latter of which is part of the first ever Gavitt Games. The eight-game event, which pits schools from the Big East against those from the Big Ten, is named after the late Dave Gavitt, who was the original Big East's first commissioner from 1979-1990.

Up next for Villanova is the NIT Season Tipoff, in which they will play their first two games at home against East Tennessee State (Nov. 20) and Akron (Nov. 22) before heading up to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the semifinals and finals.

Villanova’s non-conference schedule also features a match-up against Oklahoma in Honolulu’s Bloch Arena on Dec. 7 and a trip to face reigning ACC champion Virginia on Dec. 19.

Villanova starts Big East play on Dec. 31 by hosting Xavier at noon.

The Wildcats will have three conference games at the Wells Fargo Center in Providence (Jan. 23), St. John’s (Feb. 13) and Georgetown (March 5). With Wells Fargo slated to host a Sweet 16 and Elite 8 regional final in the NCAA Tournament next spring, that's the maximum number at 'Nova can play in the building and still play there during March Madness.

The team’s entire schedule can be found below:

Villanova Wildcats' 2015-16 Schedule
November
Fri, Nov. 13 vs. Farleigh Dickinson, 7 p.m.
Tues, Nov. 17 vs. Nebraska, 8:30 p.m.
*Fri, Nov. 20 vs. East Tennessee State, 7 p.m.
*Sun, Nov. 22 vs. Akron, 4:30 p.m
*Thurs, Nov. 26 vs. Stanford, 4:30 p.m. (Barclays Center)
*Fri, Nov. 27 vs. Georgia Tech or Arkansas (Barclays Center)

December
#Tues, Dec. 1 at Saint Joseph's, 7 p.m.
Mon, Dec. 7 vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m. (Game in Bloch Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii)
#Sun, Dec. 13 vs. La Salle, 5 p.m.
Sat, Dec. 19 at Virginia, 12 p.m.
Tues, Dec. 22 vs. Delaware, 7 p.m.
#Mon, Dec. 28 vs. Penn, 7 p.m.
**Thurs, Dec. 31 vs. Xavier, 12 p.m.

January
**Sat, Jan. 2 at Creighton, 10 p.m.
**Wed, Jan. 6 vs. Seton Hall, 7 p.m.
**Sun, Jan 10 at Butler, 7:30 p.m.
**Wed, Jan 13 vs. Marquette, 8:30 p.m.
**Sat, Jan 16 at Georgetown, 1 p.m.
**Wed, Jan 20 at Seton Hall, 9 p.m.
**Sat, Jan 23 vs. Providence, 12 p.m. (WFC)
**Sun, Jan 31 at St. John’s, 12 p.m.

February
**Wed, Feb. 3 vs. Creighton, 8 p.m.
**Sat, Feb. 6 at Providence, 2:30 p.m.
**Tue, Feb. 9 at DePaul, 8:30 p.m.
**Sat, Feb. 13 vs. St. John’s, 8 p.m. (WFC)
#Wed, Feb. 17 at Temple, 7 p.m.
**Sat, Feb. 20 vs. Butler, 2:30 p.m.
**Wed, Feb. 24 at Xavier, 7 p.m.
**Sat, Feb. 27 at Marquette, 2:30 p.m.

March
**Tues, March 1 vs. DePaul, 7 p.m.
**Sat, March 5 vs. Georgetown, 12 p.m. (Game at Wells Fargo Center)*
March 9-12, Big East Tournament

* = Preseason NIT
** = Big East game
# = Big 5 game