On October 22, the five Philadelphia mid‑major schools—Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s and Temple—announced that Villanova will withdraw from the Big 5 city championship starting in the 2027‑28 season. With the three‑year Big 5 Classic contract ending after 2026, the remaining schools will revive the historic round‑robin format in 2027, preserving a 70‑year tradition without Villanova’s road games. Villanova, whose Wildcats posted a 5‑4 record in the last three Classic editions and won the 2023 title, cited scheduling preferences, while head coach Kevin Willard blamed the other schools for the split. The women’s Big 5 may still include all six programs, but no official plan is set.
After a 93-71 exhibition loss to Virginia, Villanova coach Kevin Willard blasted Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jeff Neiburg as a “bad writer” while inadvertently confirming the reporter’s story that Villanova will leave the historic Big 5. The piece details the Big 5’s declining attendance, a failed 2023‑2026 format revamp that added Drexel, and Villanova’s push for a new schedule and Hall of Fame banquet that the other schools rejected. Willard claims the exit wasn’t Villanova’s decision and blames Temple and the other members for blocking a proposal that would have given the Wildcats a bye and home advantage based on NET rankings. The fallout caps a 70‑year city rivalry now set to continue without the Wildcats.
The article argues that Penn State should replace Villanova in Philadelphia’s historic “Big 5” basketball lineup now called the “Big 5 Classic.” After Drexel’s addition in 2023‑24 turned the six‑team event into a pod system, Villanova announced it will sit out, citing format frustrations and a conflict with Temple. The author notes that Penn State’s strong regional brand and fan base could fill Villanova’s void, even though the Nittany Lions aren’t a Philadelphia school. He suggests the move would boost interest and attendance at future Big 5 games.
Kevin Willard blames Temple and a poor Philadelphia Inquirer piece for Villanova’s exit from next season’s Big 5, calling the current format “stupid.” He says Villanova wanted a banquet, Hall of Fame ceremony and home games for lower‑NET teams, but the other schools insisted on rotating road trips. Willard accuses reporter Jeff Neiburg of click‑bait and insists the decision wasn’t Villanova’s. An official Villanova statement admits talks fell apart over format, confirming the Wildcats left to avoid road games against mid‑majors. The remaining five schools appear to be moving toward a round‑robin or one‑day triple‑header format.
Villanova will be exiting the Big 5 Classic following the 2026-27 season, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff Neiburg.
Thursday, October 22, 2026 college basketball exhibition schedule, including Auburn vs. Alabama, Virginia vs. Villanova, Purdue vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, tipoff times and streaming information.
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team lands at No. 11 in the preseason AP Top 25, matching last season's ranking. The poll places Florida at No. 1 (47 first‑place votes) followed by Duke and Illinois. Louisville trails peers like Houston (10) and Kentucky (23) as the Cards aim for a stronger finish. The release, dated October 19, 2026, notes additional votes for programs such as Missouri and Purdue, highlighting the competitive field ahead of the 2026‑27 campaign.
Villanova drops out of the AP Top‑25 for the first poll of the season, earning only six votes that place the Wildcats around 38th nationally. Only two Big East programs—UConn (4th) and St. John’s (13th)—make the top 25, with Marquette picking up three votes. Despite the snub, the Wildcats boast talent above schools like VCU and Saint Louis, and they aim to prove themselves in an exhibition against No. 9 Virginia on Thursday at the Finneran Pavilion.
After an 81-52 blowout of Drexel in their preseason opener Wednesday night, the Red Storm are back in exhibition action against Rutgers at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a narrow 77-75 defeat to Villanova in their first preseason game last Sunday, October 11, in which they played without their […]
Saturday's college basketball exhibition schedule for October 17, 2026, includes Illinois, Cincinnati, Villanova, Notre Dame, Dayton, USC and more. See tipoff times and viewing information.
Watch as IU basketball guards Darren Harris and Bryce Lindsay sat down for questions ahead of the 2026-27 season. Harris is a 6-foot-5 transfer from Duke. Lindsay is a 6-foot-4 transfer from Villanova. Videos by Brooks White and Jack Rizzo for TDH. For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE. More preseason IU basketball player Q&As: [...]
Kwame Evans Jr. and Devin Royal were the top two names in the rumor mill once the transfer portal opened, but the first player that Villanova met with was Cornell’s Jake Fiegen. The competition for the 6’4” senior was stiff, with the other reported teams involved being Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Virginia. Being a three-year player […]
Rutgers men’s basketball had one of its two scrimmages before the 2026-2027 season on Sunday, Oct. 11, against Villanova. Although showing significant improvement compared to where they were last season, the Scarlet Knights came up just short, 77-75, against the Wildcats. This was interim head coach Brandin Knight’s first experience coaching the Scarlet Knights in […]
Viewing note: B1G+ will cost $8.99 for the game pass, if you would like to watch the game.
Team: Seton Hall Pirates 2025-26 Record: 21-12, 10-10 Big East 2025-26 Big East Finish: Fourth, five games behind Villanova, one game in front of Creighton Final 2025-26 Computer Rankings NET: #53KenPom.com: #51BartTorvik.com: #56 Postseason: The Pirates advanced to the Big East semifinals with a win over Creighton, but had their season ended by St. John’s, […]
Villanova basketball got some good news and some not-so-good news on the injury front this week. CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported Tuesday that senior guard Tyler Perkins has been fully cleared for all basketball activities following offseason surgery on his right shoulder. Perkins underwent arthroscopic surgery in late April and was cleared […]
Villanova had a busy offseason in hopes of returning near the top of the Big East. As we prepare to head into the regular season, that is the expectation — and the polls agree. Last week, Villanova was picked third in the Big East preseason poll. The Wildcats were picked behind only UConn and St. […]
UConn leads five teams capable of winning the 2026-27 Big East basketball championship, with St. John's, Villanova, Marquette and Providence in pursuit.
UConn leads the 2026-27 Big East basketball power rankings ahead of St. John's, Villanova, Marquette and Providence.
The Big East’s coaches don’t believe a Red Storm three-peat is coming. The league’s coaches ranked St. John’s second in the conference’s preseason poll ahead of Tuesday’s Media Day festivities. The Johnnies only received two first-place votes, while the Huskies earned eight. Marquette finished fourth, behind Villanova, and still earned one first-place vote from Rick […]
With Temple and La Salle releasing their men’s basketball non-conference schedules on Wednesday, every Big 5 school’s non-conference schedule is now out. They’re all listed on the universities’ websites. I’ll hyperlink the schedules here: Saint Joe’s, Villanova, Penn, La Salle, Temple, and Drexel. For some reason, though, there isn’t a website or anything that specifically […]
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas will open Big 12 play for the upcoming season hosting West Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 2, as the league announced the 2026-27 Monster Energy Big 12 Men’s Basketball schedule today. The full schedule for the Jayhawks is now set with the dates and opponents revealed for Big 12 play and the already announced non-conference slate that features marquee matchups against Louisville and Duke in exhibition play, Kentucky, Villanova, Northern Iowa, Missouri, UConn, Ohio State, and...
The Big East released its conference schedule for 2026-2027, and it looks like Villanova will be playing Saint John’s and UConn at Xfinity Mobile Area: If I can be honest in this blog here, it’s always bothered me a little that Villanova plays their big games at whatever we’re calling the basketball arena in the […]
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The entire 2026-27 schedule is officially here. The opponents aren’t a surprise in any way, as the Big East has a double-round-robin schedule. Some of the dates do jump out though:
Dominated like they were supposed to. Got starters some rest. Got the young guys some action. Didn’t suffer any major injuries (as long as KeyJuan is ok). Pretty much all the major boxes checked in this one. Massive, massive opportunity for this team in eight days. Think the fans will recognize the gravity of the […]