Go to a typical Villanova University basketball game in Villanova these days and you’re likely to see a field of banana fans out in the stands.
A group of Villanova seniors have started the trend of wearing banana costumes to Wildcats games, writes Gabriela Carroll for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The idea started back in November after Villanova suffered a loss to St. Joseph’s. It was a rough start to the season.
“The student section felt like it was lacking a little bit of energy,” said senior Matthew Devlin.
When a critical game against No. 9 St. John’s came up Feb. 12, Devlin and his friends bought a group costume [bananas] looking to reenergize the fans and rebuild community.
They talked it up with other Villanova fraternities and when the St. John’s game came around, the lower level of the student section was filled with banana-costumed students.
Villanova won that game by two points. Senior Aidan Murphy credits the bananas as a possible influence.
Since then, the Wildcat fan base, the school, and the team have embraced the banana costumes, with a hope of an NCAA Tournament in Villanova’s future.
Find out more about the banana costume movement at Villanova games in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
