Fans erupt after Villanova basketball's stunning upset loss to Columbia

Elite programs like Villanova basketball schedule "buy games" against programs like Columbia early in the season to warm up against easy teams. However, it backfired for the Wildcats on Wednesday, as they lost 90-80 to the Lions in the season-opener at home.

College basketball fans went wild on social media after the upset.

"Villanova loses a buy game to Columbia," CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein said. "The epitome of brutality."

"I don't even think that was an upset ," Barstool Sports' Max Dolente proclaimed. "Columbia is just genuinely a better basketball team than Villanova and it isn't remotely close. I'm starting to think they don't practice."

"Villanova just lost to Columbia 90-80. [Head coach] Kyle Neptune took over a team coming off a Final Four, and is now 36-34, with losses to Portland, Columbia, Penn, Drexel and St. Joe's among others," FOX Sports Radio's Aaron Torres said. "Can't imagine Jay Wright watching his kingdom crumble. What an embarrassment ."

Indeed, the Wildcats have declined since Wright's tenure ended in 2022, as they've yet to make the NCAA Tournament since then. They won two national titles with the legendary coach.

"I'd add – and I've said this 1,000 times – this should pretty much end any and all 'is Villanova a blue blood conversation.' A miracle title in '85 and basically a great 6-7 year stretch under Jay Wright," Torres continued. "Congrats on having an all-time coach. Not, and never, was a blue blood."

Does this loss signal the Wildcats' fall from grace, or is it a blip on the radar?