when did villanova get a football team

Villanova University got a football team in 1894. The Wildcats played their first official game and won 24-0 against the Logan Athletic Association that year. However, the program was disbanded in 1981 due to weak attendance and financial reasons but reinstated in 1985, initially playing a limited schedule at the Division III level before moving back up to Division I-AA (now FCS) by 1988.