Associated Press

Oct 22, 2026, 10:34 AM ET

PHILADELPHIA -- The Big 5 is no more -- at least not the incarnation most fans of the famed Philly basketball series remember from its heyday.

Villanova will leave the Big 5 at the end of the 2026-27 season, and the series will continue with five teams starting next season in a round-robin format. The Big 5 Classic tripleheader also will end after this season's Dec. 5 event at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, the home of the 76ers .

Founding members Penn , La Salle , Temple and Saint Joseph's will remain, as will Drexel , which was added ahead of the 2023 season making it a six team series.

"The resumption of a consistent round-robin format, featuring both home and away contests, will sustain traditional rivalries while providing valuable scheduling stability in an increasingly complex Division I environment," the five remaining schools said in a joint statement.

"In recent years, the evolving NCAA landscape has prompted institutions to evaluate how their athletics…