Drexel University women's basketball joins Philadelphia's Big 5 basketball series

Philadelphia's famous city basketball series, the Big 5, is getting bigger. Drexel has joined the Big 5 this season for women's basketball, making it the sixth Division I program to be part of this Philly hoops tradition. The other teams in the city series are Penn, La Salle, Temple, Saint Joseph's, and Villanova. The women's city champion will be decided at the Big 5 Classic tripleheader at Villanova on Dec. 6. This event will take place for the next three seasons at the city's NBA arena. Saint Joseph's was the winner of last season's Big 5 championship. The Big 5 was created in 1954, and the schools began playing each other in 1955 for the "City Series" title. The first game was played 69 years ago, with Saint Joseph's defeating Villanova 83-70 in front of 2,636 fans at the Palestra. In the women's and men's pods, Penn, Saint Joseph's, and Villanova will be in one group, while Drexel, La Salle, and Temple will be in another. The location of the Women's Big 5 Classic will change yearly to different sites. In March Madness 2024, the Drexel women's team lost to the University of Texas in the opening round. Despite the loss, it was an exciting time for the team and the university community. Drexel University is now officially part of the Big 5 in women's basketball.