Villanova reportedly exits Big 5 after 2026-27

Villanova will leave Philadelphia’s Big 5 after the 2026-27 season, ending its participation in the six-team format. Beginning in 2027-28, Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s and Temple plan to resume a full home-and-away round robin, citing the format’s value for preserving rivalries and providing scheduling stability. The Big 5 Classic tripleheader at Xfinity Mobile Arena will continue in 2026, but its current format will end; the schools may still explore holding a one-day tripleheader in the future. Reports say Villanova sought a different arrangement that would largely avoid Big 5 road games, but the six schools could not reach agreement.