The last Villanova game?

This year has been tough on my SDSU home game football attendance. Every weekend they were playing this fall ether coincided with me working on a project, or my wife having to go to Vermillion for one of her doctoral classes.

But then a curious thing happened. SDSU not only made the playoffs, but got a first-round bye, and it was confirmed this weekend that they would be playing Villanova. Almost immediately after that was confirmed, my phone was buzzing with texts from my dad that he would like to attend that game.

It’s not that this game is particularly special to me over any other game I missed this year – I kind of wanted to see the State-U game, but like I said, my wife was in class, so I was out of luck. But, this playoff game holds a bit of meaning to my dad, as it may represent his last opportunity to see his alma mater.  You see, way back in the 1950’s he was a graduate of the Pennsylvania-based Catholic University.

In the intervening years he moved around a bit with the FBI, eventually landing in South Dakota. Which is about as far away from Pennsylvania as you get.

And now about 60 years after he graduated, he hasn’t been in a position to attend of their games for decades. 80 years old, and mostly homebound due to health after bypass surgery and a subsequent light stroke a while back, he’s not likely to travel anymore in his remaining years. Certainly, not for a football game in Pennsylvania.

However, sometimes opportunities arise. Even for one of South Dakota’s few Villanova graduates.

So, on Saturday, a 50’s era Villanova graduate is going to be sitting with me, an 80’s era SDSU grad, one of his five children who graduated from SDSU.  (My wife will be there too, and I might claim her if she doesn’t wear her USD colors.) The weather forecast says mid-30’s for Saturday, so we’ll be bundled up.

And we’re going to be rooting against each other as we watch the game unfold in what might be a final chance to see “his team” live on the field.

His last Villanova game? Maybe. Maybe not.  But we’ll enjoy ourselves as if it is. Until the next time.