PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Big 5 Athletic Directors officially welcomed Drexel University as part of the women’s basketball Big 5 and revealed details of a new series format where the champion will be determined during a same-day, Big 5 tripleheader.
The inaugural Women’s Big 5 Classic will be held at the Finneran Pavilion on the campus of Villanova University on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Tickets will officially go on sale on June 17.
The Big 5 also announced that the Men’s Big 5 Classic will return to Wells Fargo Center for the next three seasons with this year’s event scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 7. Comcast Spectacor will continue to oversee the operational and promotional aspects of the men’s tripleheader. General tickets are scheduled to go on sale in September at Big5Classic.com.
The 2024-25 season will be the 44th year of Big 5 women’s basketball. The five-team, round-robin format began in 1979-80 and has been in existence every year with the exception of 2020-21 due to COVID-19.
“Drexel University is honored for our women’s basketball program to officially join the Philadelphia Big 5,” said Drexel Director of Athletics Maisha Kelly. “The support, collaboration, and uniqueness of the Philadelphia Big 5 are unmatched. Aligning with our five fellow institutions only strengthens the visibility of women’s basketball in this city. We are eager to participate in an official capacity this upcoming season having competed with many of these institutions in non-conference play regularly. This inclusion is another step towards advancing our brand, when coupled with the sustained success the program has had, both regionally and nationally.”
“Seeing the success of Drexel’s men joining the Big 5 last season, I’m excited to have Drexel join our Big 5 family on the women’s side,” said Penn’s head women’s basketball coach, Mike McLaughlin. “I think anyone who follows college basketball in the city would say it’s long overdue. Amy Mallon has built a really strong program over there, and they will be a great addition to the city rivalry. I’m also thrilled to see the women add an annual Big 5 Classic; I think that will add another exciting element to our non-conference schedule every year. This is a win for all of the women’s basketball programs in the city.”
For the new women’s format, the six schools will be separated into three-team pods: Pod 1: Temple, La Salle, and Drexel; Pod 2: Villanova, Saint Joseph’s, and Penn. Each team will play the other two teams from their pod at their individual on-campus arenas. All teams will then participate in the tripleheader at the Finneran Pavilion on December 6, with the first seed in each pod competing for the Big 5 championship, as well as respective games between the second seeds and third seeds.
Following the 2024 Big 5 Classics, the pods for both the men and women will be synchronized and rotate every two years. The site of the Women’s Big 5 Classic also will rotate on a yearly basis to other sites.
In addition to adding Drexel into the women’s basketball format and the three-year men’s agreement with the Wells Fargo Center, the Big 5 bolstered its leadership team by naming Dan Hilferty as the Ambassador of the Big 5. Hilferty, a Saint Joseph’s alumnus and current chairman and chief executive officer of Comcast Spectacor and Governor of the Philadelphia Flyers, will serve as a lead ambassador to the Big 5.
“After a great response from the inaugural year of the new men’s format, I am thrilled to see that the success of the reinvigorated Big 5 is extending to women’s basketball,” said Hilferty. “As a lifelong basketball fan and former Big 5 player, I am really excited to be working with the six universities to keep traditions alive and champion the future of the Big 5.”
For the latest on Penn women’s basketball, follow @PennWBB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.
#FightOnPenn
Source: pennathletics.com
