Villanova football head coach Mark Ferrante has a new weekly appointment in Bryn Mawr.
"Talking Villanova Football with Head Coach Mark Ferrante" launched its 2026 season Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Kelly's Taproom, airing live on Fox Sports Radio Philly from 6 to 7 p.m. The show, hosted by Steve Pinone, will run 11 episodes every Tuesday night through the season, skipping only the Wildcats' bye week. Fans can also listen on the iHeart Radio app.
Each episode will recap the previous week's game, preview the upcoming opponent and feature special guests alongside Ferrante's breakdown of the program, according to Villanova athletics.
The timing is no accident. Villanova opens its inaugural Patriot League season Friday, Aug. 28, hosting William & Mary at Villanova Stadium with a 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+. The Wildcats enter ranked No. 7/8 nationally and were picked first in the Patriot League Preseason Coaches' Poll with seven of 10 first-place votes.
Ferrante's squad reached the FCS semifinals last season in its final year in the Coastal Athletic Association. Running back Ja'briel Mace, who rushed for 946 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025 and broke Brian Westbrook's single-game rushing record with 291 yards against Towson, returns for his junior year on the Walter Payton Award preseason watchlist, according to a Villanovan season preview. Quarterback Pat McQuaide also returns after a judge granted him an additional year of eligibility, resolving an offseason question Ferrante addressed at Patriot League Media Day on July 30.
"From a Pat McQuaide perspective, we still haven't gotten the final, final ruling on that whole thing," Ferrante said at the time. "So we'll see what happens there."
That ruling came through. McQuaide is back.
The home slate features six games, including a Nov. 21 meeting with Georgetown, the first between the programs in 76 years. Group tickets start at $10.
The radio show returns Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Kelly's Taproom following the opener, with new episodes airing weekly from 6 to 7 p.m. through November.
