It’s official. This will be the last season of one of the longstanding traditions in college basketball.
On Thursday, Villanova announced that it will be leaving the Big 5 beginning during the 2027-28 season. The series will continue on with a round-robin format featuring five teams — Penn, La Salle, Temple, St. Joseph’s, and Drexel.
“Villanova University has great respect for the history and tradition of the Big 5,” Villanova said in a statement. “Over the past year, we have engaged in lengthy discussions
with our Big 5 partners about strategies to move forward in the years ahead. Together we explored several models and were close to an agreement at one point but could not get unanimity on a new scheduling format beginning in 2027. Villanova remains committed to supporting Philadelphia basketball. Ultimately, we must also balance what is in the best interests of Villanova Basketball for success in the modern landscape of college athletics.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Villanova wanted to guarantee that it would not have to play a Big 5 road game. This was not agreed upon by all schools.
Villanova won its 30th Big 5 championship last year following a 90-63 win against Penn. This came in the first season under the new format where teams will play one home game and one road game before a triple-header at XFinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
The Big 5 was founded in 1954 and is entering its 72nd season of competition. The first game was played in 1955 when St. Joseph’s defeated Villanova at the Palestra.
This is a decision that has brought out the opinion of many college basketball fans — many against the decision of Kevin Willard and the Wildcats. For these fans, many who have probably not watched Big 5 games in years, it is another reason to dislike Willard. In today’s era of college basketball, this is a decision that should not come as a surprise. Aside from tradition, it makes sense for Villanova in a scheduling sense. Now, Willard will have to make it count in the non-conference schedule moving forward.
