The Big 5 has unveiled its 2026‑27 women’s basketball slate, arranging the six participating schools into two compact pods of three teams each.
Pod 1 brings together Drexel, Penn and Saint Joseph’s, while Pod 2 groups La Salle, Temple and Villanova, setting up a series of intra‑pod contests that will determine seeding for the championship.
The opening matchup arrives on Friday, November 6, when Drexel hosts Penn at the historic Palestra, a venue that has been a basketball pilgrimage site since 1927.
A week later, Drexel will welcome Saint Joseph’s on Sunday, November 15, and Penn will travel to face Saint Joseph’s on Wednesday, November 18, continuing the round‑robin format within the pod.
Meanwhile, Temple opens its pod schedule by hosting La Salle on Wednesday, November 11, and La Salle will test itself against Villanova on Tuesday, November 24, before Villanova meets Temple on Tuesday, December 1.
Centennial Celebration at The Palestra
The climax of the season arrives on Sunday, December 6, when The Palestra stages a tripleheader to celebrate its centennial, bringing together the top seeds from each pod in a showcase that underscores the arena’s nickname, the Cathedral of College Basketball.
Ticket details for that December 6 tripleheader will be released in the coming weeks, promising another chapter in the venue’s storied legacy.