On October 22, Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, and Temple came together to announce some major changes to the future of Philadelphia’s Big 5.
Each school released an official statement declaring that Villanova, the main line’s high-major powerhouse, will officially forgo the annual city championship altogether beginning in 2027-28.
The men’s Big 5, as we know it, is no more.
With a three year contract on the Big 5 Classic expiring after 2026, Philadelphia’s mid-majors will instead return to the historic round-robin format in 2027 with hopes of preserving the 70-plus-year-old tradition.
In that joint statement released by each of the school’s athletic departments, the longtime rivals took one last subtle shot at Villanova, given its location outside the Philadelphia city limits.
“With five Division I programs located within a 10-mile radius, the schools remain uniquely positioned in collegiate basketball,” the press release reads. “The resumption of a consistent round-robin format, featuring both home and away contests, will sustain traditional rivalries while providing valuable scheduling stability in an increasingly complex Division I environment.”
As reported by Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Villanova was, in fact, the lone program disinterested in continuing its long-standing associations with the five local schools.
Villanova insisted on a different format; one that guaranteed the Wildcats would never have to play another Big 5 road game. But not all six of the respective schools could come to a formal agreement.
Neiburg added that all six schools do remain in conversation with one another about the possibility of returning to the Big 5 Classic tripleheader somewhere in the future.
It’s important to note too that reports of the women’s Big 5 planning to continue with all six schools have emerged, though nothing official has been announced for after 2026-27.
The Wildcats have amassed just a 5-4 record over the last three years of the Big 5 Classic, including a loss to Drexel, another to Penn, and a pair to Holy War rival Saint Joseph’s. Though Villanova did win all three of its matchups last season on the way to its first Big 5 title since 2023, it had long been rumored throughout the Philadelphia basketball community that recently hired head coach Kevin Willard was displeased with the setup.
When asked about the situation following Villanova’s 93-71 preseason exhibition loss to ninth-ranked Virginia though, Willard placed blame on the other schools around the city.
“It’s really disappointing to be honest with you,” he said. “I enjoyed being in the Big 5 tremendously. Understanding the history of it and being a part of it last year was awesome. This wasn’t a Villanova decision. We wanted it. A month ago we thought we had a deal. I think you need to talk to the Temple AD [Arthur Johnson] and get your stories right because this was not a Villanova thing. Villanova wants to be in the Big 5.”
More importantly though, losing a consistent scheduling opportunity against a high-major opponent is significant for smaller mid-major programs, and forgoing the Big 5 might be an even bigger loss for the college basketball community. This decision hurts, but it comes as no surprise in the modern era of college athletics.
Philadelphia basketball will have to move forward without Villanova, but Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s and Temple now have a unique opportunity to carry history forward in a landscape that shuns tradition.
Credit to the city’s mid-major programs for not giving into the demands of Villanova. The Big 5 will look a little different going forward, but its importance to the local community, the alumni of those schools, and to mid-major college basketball won’t change.