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Villanova Set to Exit Philadelphia's Famed Big 5 College Basketball Series After This Season
The series will continue as a five-team round-robin next season, and the Big 5 Classic tripleheader will end after Dec. 5, organizers said.
- Villanova will exit the Philadelphia Big 5 men's basketball series after the 2026-27 season, ending its participation in the historic rivalry. The Big 5 Classic tripleheader format will also conclude following this year's December 5 event at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
- Coach Kevin Willard cited scheduling pressures, stating "When you play 20 conference games, playing an A-10 road game every year is really difficult." Villanova also prioritizes maximizing home game revenue, which the pod-play structure limits by requiring mandatory road appearances.
- The remaining five schools—Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph's, and Temple—will continue the basketball tradition with a round-robin format starting next season. This transition aims to sustain rivalries while providing scheduling stability in an increasingly complex Division I environment.
- Founded in 1954, the Big 5 has served as a central Philadelphia basketball tradition for nearly 70 years. Recent years saw declining attendance at the 8,700-seat Palestra, and the 2023 addition of Drexel failed to fully revitalize fan engagement.
- The women's Big 5 competition is expected to include all six schools moving forward, according to sources. Additionally, all six schools are working toward a possibility that a one-day Big 5 Classic tripleheader lives on in the future.
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13 Articles
13 Articles
The Washington Post+3 Reposted by 3 other sources
Villanova set to exit Philadelphia's famed Big 5 college basketball series after this season
·Washington, United States
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Big 5 men’s basketball schools to move forward with round-robin format without Villanova in 2027-28
It's possible that a one-day Big 5 Classic tripleheader lives on. But with the current format nearing the end of its contract, Villanova was not interested in keeping with the status quo.
·Philadelphia, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left5Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Left
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources lean Left
63% Left
L 63%
C 37%
Factuality
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