Villanova walks away from Big 5, ending a historic chapter in Philly hoops
USA Today • • sports
Key Points:
- Villanova men's basketball will play its final season as a member of the Philadelphia Big 5 in 2026-27 before leaving the association starting in the 2027-28 season, marking a significant change to a tradition dating back over 70 years.
- The Big 5 currently includes Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph's, and Temple, with Drexel having joined in 2023 to create a six-team round-robin format culminating in the Big 5 Classic tripleheader.
- Villanova sought a scheduling format that would avoid playing road games in the Big 5, but no unanimous agreement was reached among the six schools, leading to Villanova’s decision to depart while expressing respect for the Big 5’s history.
- The Big 5, founded in 1954, remains a unique Philadelphia basketball tradition with five Division I programs located within a 10-mile radius, aiming to preserve rivalries and scheduling stability despite Villanova’s exit.
- The announcement drew negative reactions from the college basketball community, reflecting the significance of Villanova's departure from a storied local basketball institution.
