Villanova University has spent the past week living through a jarring split-screen reality: terror and lockdowns on campus driven by repeated hoax active-shooter calls, while its football team mounts a dramatic postseason run that now has the Wildcats one win from a national title game.
Hoax Shooter Calls Trigger Panic and Lockdowns on Campus
In the span of just four days, Villanova was twice hit by
false active shooter reports that sent students and families into panic and brought a massive law enforcement response to campus.
On a Sunday morning, Radnor Township Police say they received a 911 call reporting an active shooter at
Austin Hall, a Villanova residence hall.
The university immediately ordered students and staff to
shelter in place around 11 a.m., including some who were gathered at St. Thomas of Villanova Church for Mass.
Police swept the area, then issued an
“all clear,” determining the report was baseless and part of a so‑called
“swatting” incident—a fake emergency call meant to trigger a heavy tactical response. No weapons, shots, or injuries were found.
Students described the experience as
“unsettling” and
“scary,” especially for freshmen sleeping on campus for the first time. One student told local station 6ABC that what had been a “special Mass” was “ruined” by the hoax.
The university later said in a statement that the report was
“baseless” and that
normal operations had resumed after police cleared the scene.
Second “Cruel Hoax” at Law School’s Scarpa Hall
That incident followed an earlier
active shooter alert at Villanova’s law school, Scarpa Hall, just days before.
On that Thursday evening:
- Villanova issued a
campus-wide alert warning of a possible active shooter near the law school.
- Students and residents were told to
“move to a secure location” and “lock and barricade their doors.”- Local, state, and
federal law enforcement, including FBI agents, responded and surrounded the building, with officers visible on the roof and around Scarpa Hall.
After a sweep, authorities found
no shooter, no injuries, and no firearms, and the university declared the incident a
hoax.
Villanova President Rev. Peter Donohue called it a
“cruel hoax” that caused “panic and terror” on campus, even as the university was welcoming new students with orientation events. He told the community that although no one was hurt, the emotional impact was significant and deeply unsettling.
Radnor Police and the FBI are now
leading an investigation into the source of the swatting calls. Authorities say they are working to trace the hoax caller and have urged the community to try to move forward while investigators continue their work.
These incidents are part of a
wider wave of false gunfire or shooter reports at universities around the country in recent days, including the University of South Carolina and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, both of which also saw large-scale responses to unfounded reports.
Separate Safety Alert: Reported Sexual Assault in Residence Hall
As the campus processes those hoax threats, Villanova has also been grappling with a serious
sexual assault report.
According to
The Villanovan, the university issued a
safety alert after a
female guest reported being raped by a male resident student on Dec. 6, 2025, in a university residence hall.
Details are limited, but the alert is part of Villanova’s obligation under federal campus safety laws to notify the community about serious alleged crimes.
The report adds another layer of concern to a campus already on edge from repeated emergency alerts and heavy police presence.
On the Field: Villanova Football Stuns No. 4 Tarleton State to Reach FCS Semifinals
While campus police and the FBI handle threats and investigations, Villanova’s
football team is quietly putting together one of the strongest postseason runs in its history.
On Saturday afternoon in Stephenville, Texas,
No. 12 seed Villanova (12–2) rallied to upset
No. 4 seed Tarleton State (12–2), 26–21, in the FCS quarterfinals.
The win sends the Wildcats to the
Division I Football Championship semifinal and extends their
winning streak to 11 games, one short of the program record of 12 set in 1997.
Freshman Breakout and Record-Breaking Kicker
The game turned into a showcase for emerging and veteran talent:
-
Freshman wide receiver Braden Reed threw a 27‑yard touchdown pass and later caught the
game-winning 11‑yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
-
Junior running back Ja’briel Mace rushed for
151 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, including a 47‑yard scoring run just 49 seconds after Tarleton State went up 21–12 in the third quarter.
- Graduate kicker
Jack Barnum became Villanova’s
single-season record holder for made field goals, hitting from 31 and 42 yards and notching his 15th career field goal and fourth of 40+ yards this season.
- Graduate linebacker
Shane Hartzell led a defense that held Tarleton to
less than half its season scoring average and
scoreless over the final 17+ minutes.
Quarterback
Connor McQuaide finished 16‑of‑33 for 180 yards and a touchdown, with his 51st career TD pass providing the decisive score to Reed.
Receiver
Luke Colella had five catches for a team‑high 71 yards and became just the
seventh player in program history to post a
1,000+ yard receiving season, finishing the day at 1,026 yards on 73 catches.
Villanova is now
18–15 all-time in the FCS playoffs, and notably
4–12 in true playoff road games—two of those road wins have come in the past two weeks, at Lehigh and Tarleton State.
One Win From the National Title Game
With the quarterfinal win, Villanova advances to the
FCS semifinal, where the Wildcats will:
- Either
travel to No. 8 seed UC Davis or
-
Host Illinois State on Saturday, December 20, depending on the outcome of the final quarterfinal matchup.
The opponent and kickoff time are expected to be announced once the UC Davis–Illinois State game concludes.
If Villanova wins the semifinal, it would mark only the
second national championship game appearance in school history, echoing a deep playoff run that included road wins at Stephen F. Austin and Appalachian State back in 2010.
A Campus Balancing Fear, Resilience, and Pride
Villanova’s past week captures a complicated reality of American campus life in 2025:
-
Safety alerts and swatting hoaxes that force students into lockdowns, fray nerves, and strain trust—even when no physical harm occurs.
-
Serious crime reports, like the alleged sexual assault, that remind the community of ongoing safety and consent issues.
- And at the same time,
athletic success that rallies students, alumni, and fans behind a shared story of resilience and momentum.
Authorities say the
FBI and local police are still investigating the false shooter reports and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
On the other side of campus, Villanova football is preparing for one of the biggest games in program history, with the chance to turn an already memorable season into something historic.
How Villanova navigates these twin storylines—
anxious alerts on students’ phones and celebratory alerts about playoff wins—will shape not just the mood on campus this winter, but also broader conversations about campus security, mental health, and community resilience.
Sources
1. Wildcats Rally and Advance, Defeat #4 Tarleton State, 26-21 to ...
2. Villanova University receives another false active shooter call: police
3. Villanova University issues alert for active shooter on campus
4. University Issues Safety Alert Following Reported Sexual Assault
5. 'Hoax' shooting threat sends Villanova students, families into panic
6. Active shooter reported at Villanova University was 'a cruel hoax'
7. Active shooter reported at Villanova University was 'a cruel hoax'
8. Villanova campus reacts after active shooter threat deemed "cruel ...
