As soon as the Penn and Temple schedules were released last fall, everyone circled tonight on their calendars.
That is because it marks the return of former Penn coach Fran Dunphy, who left to become Temple's head coach after 17 years leading the Quakers.
And while the players and coaches in the game may look at it as just another game on the schedule, especially once play begins, the fans at the Palestra tonight undoubtedly do not.
I love Penn's student section, the Red and Blue Crew, and in the effort of full disclosure, I sit there during many basketball games. But they have been known to take some things a little too far.
Last summer brought us two examples of how an event like this could go - both coming at Boston's Fenway Park.
In early May, centerfielder Johnny Damon returned to his former stomping grounds for the first time since signing with Red Sox archrival, the New York Yankees.
Most of the crowd roundly booed Damon at every available opportunity, largely ignoring the fact that Damon was an integral part of the franchise's first World Series victory in 86 years.
Almost two months later, former Boston ace Pedro Martinez made his first appearance in Beantown since signing with the New York Mets. He received huge ovations the night before he pitched, then another one when he got to the mound, and then was promptly beaten up by the Red Sox offense.
And as Martinez left the game, he was serenaded with the famous Boston chant - "Pay-dro, Pay-dro," with the same tone as previous chants for Darryl Strawberry and Roger Clemens.
That brings us back to tonight.
Dunphy's story is much like Damon's, turning around a struggling franchise and leading it to unprecedented glory, before going to a top rival.
Penn was at .500 or worse in five of the six years immediately preceding Dunphy's head coaching tenure, and the postseason glory of the 1970's seemed a distant memory.
But after a rocky start, the man with the best mustache in town lead Penn to nine NCAA Tournament appearances in 13 years, including the program's only Tournament victory since 1980.
The difference between Dunphy and the two former Red Sox players is that he did not leave because of any perceived disrespect from his former employer.
Dunphy just went to pursue what he felt was a better opportunity in his career.
He is by far the winningest coach in Penn history, and should be given a thunderous ovation tonight.
Then when the game starts, he should be jeered like any visiting coach.
Penn radio analyst Vince Curran, who played two years under Dunphy, agreed.
"I would hope that he is received warmly by the crowd," Curran said. "I'd be shocked if he isn't."
Dunphy was not so sure what is coming, however.
"I don't know what to expect from the crowd," he said.
Engineering junior Jason Ginsberg, who leads the Red and Blue Crew, would not divulge the full plans that the group has for tonight, but did say that he expects an ovation. After that, though, it's fair game.
"Once he gets his standing O, it's all business and I hope we destroy them," he said.
I can just hear it now.
"Dun-phy, Dun-phy."
Josh Hirsch is a senior Urban Studies major from Roslyn, N.Y., and is former Senior Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. His e-mail address is jjhirsch@sas.upenn.edu.
