Former and current Big 5 coaches express disappointment in Villanova’s exit from men’s format
Fran Dunphy and Steve Donahue shared a similar sentiment during Thursday’s annual Coaches vs. Cancer luncheon about keeping the Big 5 tradition alive, but understand “change happens.”
Big 5 men’s basketball will look different next season.
On Thursday, it was announced that Villanova would no longer be a full participant in the Big 5. The current three-year agreement, which saw six teams split into two pods to determine a seeding for the Big 5 Classic, will end following the 2026-27 season. Sources told The Inquirer that Villanova was no longer interested in keeping the current format.
Next season, the remaining five men’s programs will play a round-robin format. All six schools are working toward bringing back a one-day Big 5 Classic tripleheader.
At Thursday’s annual Coaches vs. Cancer luncheon, several active and former Big 5 coaches shared their reactions to the announcement. Villanova coach Kevin Willard was not at the luncheon due to the Wildcats’ preseason game against No. 9 Virginia. In his place, Villanova general manager of basketball Baker Dunleavy attended.
» READ MORE: Big 5 men’s basketball schools to move forward with round-robin format without Villanova in 2027-28
“Being connected to Philadelphia basketball has always been a big part of who we are at Villanova, and always will be,” Dunleavy said. “With the landscape shifting here in college basketball, there’s a lot to be said for that. But I think I’ll allow coach Willard and our athletics director Eric Roedl to speak about it. … Our connections to Philly will continue. It’s just what games look like, what competition looks like in the future will probably shift a little bit.”
Fran Dunphy, the winningest coach in Big 5 history, expressed disappointment with the announcement. Dunphy coached at Penn, Temple, and La Salle. He retired following the 2024-25 season.
“I’m disappointed, but change happens,” Dunphy said. “We’ve got to be ready for change. And hopefully, we can continue to talk and keep the spirit of the Big 5 alive. That would be my greatest wish.”
Under the current format, Villanova loses two potential home games. The first is a road game the Wildcats play in pod-play and the other is the Big 5 Classic. The tripleheader, played at Xfinity Mobile Arena, distributes revenue evenly between the six schools and the venue. Lost revenue from losing home games is a leading reason why the Wildcats are leaving the current format.
“We all heard the rumors,” Dunphy said. “So again, change is inevitable. It all depends on how we look at things. As a Big 5 purist, I wanted to see all of the six schools stay together and make what we have done over all of these years still meaningful. And Villanova has been a huge part of the Big 5 for so many years. I value what they bring to the table.”
St. Joseph’s coach Steve Donahue was on Dunphy’s staff at Penn from 1990 to 2000 before returning to the Quakers as head coach in 2015. He was dismissed by Penn following the 2024-25 season and is now entering his second season at the helm for the Hawks. On Thursday, Donahue said it is “amazing” that the round-robin was continuing, but he was saddened to hear the Wildcats would not be part of it.
“I’m disappointed that Villanova is not going to be a part of it,” Donahue said. “It’s been a part of history, and I’m looking around [the event]. I see guys who played at Villanova, the Big 5 was a big part of that. The Fran O’Hanlons, the Tom Ingelsbys, the Howard Porters, the Ed Pinckneys, and all those guys. That shouldn’t be forgotten. And in some ways, I’m sad. But I’m excited that we can still play that round-robin and hopefully a tripleheader at some point.”
» READ MORE: Through highs and lows in Year One at St. Joes, Steve Donahue found a place that fits him
Darris Nichols, who is entering his second year as La Salle’s coach, is relatively new to the Big 5. He is hopeful about its future without the Wildcats.
“I’ve been hearing rumblings about it over the last year or whatever,” Nichols said. “ … I think the biggest thing is like, you can focus on change, but the college landscape is changing every day at a fast pace. So, you know, I’m more excited about the teams that still want to be a part of this.”
