The Palestra is the home of the Big 5. (Photo: Aaron Bracy)
By AARON BRACY
October 27, 2026
The Big 5 is bigger than Villanova.
That is my reaction to Thursday’s news that the Wildcats are exiting Philadelphia’s special college basketball tradition that began on November 23, 1954, when the athletic directors from La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, Temple, and Villanova thought that playing each other would be beneficial for all.
While the Wildcats’ exit is disappointing for many, like me, who grew up on the Big 5 and Philadelphia sports, Villanova’s departure can actually be a good thing for the remaining five teams and the Big 5, in general. Here are, appropriately, five reasons why.
Scheduling
Renewing the full round-robin format as Drexel, which joined the Big 5 in 2023, and charter member holdovers La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, and Temple will do beginning next season when Villanova departs, with each team playing the other four schools every season, is better for each of those five schools than the current pod format. The five schools moving forward with the Big 5 will have four guaranteed games each season against Big 5 opponents whereas now they have three in the current pod format. Scheduling has always been the hardest part of any midmajor Division I coach’s job, and it has only gotten increasingly more challenging today. Now, they can lock in four games, two of which likely will be on campus, against opponents of relatively similar levels. They get decent games. They don’t have to pay a penny for an opponent. They save money on the travel budget. This is all good. One more guaranteed Big 5 game might not seem like much, but just ask those five coaches and I’m sure they will tell you it will make their lives easier and allow them to focus time and energy on other things.
Attendance and Interest
Fans of Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, and Temple now have four local rivalries instead of three to watch every season. Say what you will about these rivalries, that they are not what they once were. You will get no argument here. But these games, as anyone who has attended them will tell you (and I have been to my fair share), are still fun. Highly competitive. Highly intense. In almost all cases of the home schedules of the remaining five Big 5 teams, playing one another is better than the alternative in their current nonconference home schedules. And, assuming two of the round-robin games will be on the road, fans now have another easy trip to see their team, whether a fan of the Big 5 or not. And, of course, you are getting two Big 5 home games instead of one. Both home and road attendance for the added game have the potential to be better than what currently is on their schedules.
Common Interest
The biggest plus of Villanova exiting is that the remaining Big 5 schools no longer have to cater to Villanova. The Wildcats wanted to play fewer Big 5 games than the other five schools, according to reporting by Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Now, you have five programs who have a truly vested interest in the success of the Big 5. There are a lot of smart people at these five schools. A lot of creative minds. Coaches who care about its tradition and success. If everyone at the five schools puts their heads together, knowing they are now all pulling in the same direction with a similar force for combined success, they could come up with some innovative ideas that would help drive an increase in attendance, eyeballs, and revenue for everyone.
Tradition
One of the biggest turnoffs in recent years that I have heard from fans is the lack of connection to their programs, as players come and go and rosters turn over yearly. Tradition is important and can help with the disconnect, and the full round-robin series where every Big 5 team plays every other Big 5 team each season is the tradition of the Big 5. Not a couple or three Big 5 games per season. Now, it is on the schools to leverage the tradition of the Big 5. What better opportunity to connect with fans, to celebrate your past accomplishments and former players, than making every one of your Big 5 home games a big deal. Ostensibly, each school will now have two opportunities on campus with the full round-robin format rather than one to make a big night of their Big 5 games. Bring back former players, honor memorable teams, do special giveaways. Get creative. Make it a big deal. Create a connection between your fans, young and old, with your program’s tradition. And what better night to do it than for Big 5 games. The full round-robin is a great start to honoring the tradition of the Big 5.
Recruiting
The backbone of the heyday of the Big 5 was keeping the best local players home. In today’s era of NIL, that is unlikely to happen. And that is OK. But there are many other talented players from Philadelphia and surrounding suburban schools who would look great at Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, and Temple. Many of them are already there. And more are coming. And even more could be. Keep selling the Big 5 to these players. Keep them home. This could happen with or without Villanova a part of the Big 5, but it is worth mentioning regardless, especially considering one more Big 5 game each season to showcase to recruits
Final Words
Villanova is exiting the Big 5. For traditionalists, like me, it is disappointing. But the Big 5 will survive and, I think, can even thrive without the Wildcats. After all, the Big 5 is bigger than Villanova.
Full Round-Robin Format
Here’s how the round-robin format could look in 2027-28:
Drexel: at La Salle, at Penn, vs. Saint Joseph’s, vs. Temple
La Salle: at Penn, at Saint Joseph’s, vs. Temple, vs. Drexel
Penn: at Saint Joseph’s, at Temple, vs. Drexel, vs. La Salle
Saint Joseph’s: at Temple, at Drexel, vs. La Salle, vs. Penn
Temple: at Drexel, at La Salle, vs. Penn, vs. Saint Joseph’s
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Aaron Bracy has covered sports in Philadelphia for nearly three decades for various publications and as a freelancer for the Associated Press. His first book, A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks (Brookline), can be ordered HERE. His second book, Are You Kidding Me? The Incredible, Inspiring Story of Allen Iverson and the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers (Brookline) is scheduled to be published in February 2027. You can preorder it HERE. Follow Bracy on social media HERE. Contact him at bracymedia@gmail.com.