Kevin Young didn't waste any time backing up his talk in Provo. After last year's non-conference slate fell a little flat, the BYU head coach loaded this season with a gauntlet worthy of a group aiming to stay near the top of the national conversation.
The challenge starts right away on Monday night. No. 8 BYU opens the year against college hoops mainstay Villanova at T-Mobile Arena at 7:30 p.m. MST on TNT, part of the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.
Villanova enters a new era as well. After missing the NCAA Tournament three straight years under Kyle Neptune, the Wildcats hit the reset button. They hired Kevin Willard from Maryland, fresh off leading the Terrapins to the Sweet 16 in his third season there. Villanova was slotted seventh in the Big East Preseason Poll. They won their first exhibition over VCU 70-51 and then dropped a close one to Virginia 75-72.
The Cougars step into the most anticipated season in program history and the expectations show. They are ranked inside the top 10 of a preseason poll for the first time ever. The schedule ahead is loaded with tests against UConn, Wisconsin, Miami, Dayton or Georgetown and Clemson before Big 12 action arrives in January.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch BYU vs Villanova NCAAW game, plus plenty more.
BYU vs Villanova: Date and tip-off time
The Cougars will face off against the Wildcats in an exciting college basketball game on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 9:30 pm ET or 6:30 pm PT at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
| Date | Monday, November 3, 2025 |
| Tip-off Time | 9:30 pm ET or 6:30 pm PT |
| Venue | T-Mobile Arena |
| Location | Las Vegas, Nevada |
How to watch BYU vs Villanova on TV & stream live online
Fans in the USA can catch all the action between the Wildcats and the Cougars live on TNT nationally. Streaming options are available on DirecTV.
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BYU vs Villanova team news & key performers
BYU Cougars team news
The Cougars didn’t just live off hype last season. They backed it up with a trip to the Sweet 16 and then went out and reloaded around AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s top high school recruit. The staff hit the portal hard and brought in serious firepower like Rob Wright III from Baylor, Tyler Mrus from Idaho, Kennard Davis Jr. from Southern Illinois and Dominique Diomande from Washington.
BYU will open the year with a few health questions. Dawson Baker and Nate Pickens have both been sidelined and did not appear in either exhibition. Even so, the starting unit feels pretty locked in. Dybantsa, Wright and Davis slot in alongside returning standouts Richie Saunders and Keba Keita.
The reason the Cougars were able to take on a tougher schedule is obvious. Dybantsa changes everything. He is expected to be in the mix for a top-three NBA Draft selection and will draw the spotlight wherever he goes. Las Vegas is only the beginning.
Villanova Wildcats team news
The Wildcats enter this season with a new voice on the sideline as Kevin Willard takes over after three years at Maryland. Villanova handled VCU 70-51 in a closed scrimmage, though no film surfaced from it, leaving plenty of mystery around what this group truly looks like.
The roster has been rebuilt almost from scratch. Tyler Perkins is the lone returner from the Kyle Neptune era, and the shakeup is a big reason why the Wildcats were projected seventh in the Big East preseason poll.
The most intriguing piece might be a newcomer. Freshman point guard Acaden Lewis, one of the highest-rated guards in the 2025 class, steps in with the ball in his hands and a chance to become Villanova’s engine right away.