One hundred years in the making.
The Women’s Big 5 Classic is coming to the Palestra this December as part of the Cathedral of College Basketball’s centennial celebrations. The tripleheader finals that ultimately determine the Big 5 champion, bronze medalist, and fifth-place finisher will be hosted on the Quakers’ home court on Sunday, Dec. 6.
“It’s incredibly special that we get to host the Big Five Classic at the Palestra on its 100th anniversary,” junior forward Gabriella Kelley wrote in a statement. “There is so much history behind the Pal, and we are very lucky to call it home and be in there every day. Getting to share that history with the broader Philadelphia basketball community and compete in that environment on our home floor will be exciting.”
Although the Women’s Big 5 round-robin was established in 1979, it transitioned to a tournament format with preliminary pod play rounds when Drexel joined the association in 2023. The tournament was hosted at Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion for its first two iterations in 2024 and 2025, with the Wildcats successfully defending their home court in 2025.
Big 5 pod play kicks off Nov. 6 with the Battle of 33rd Street against Drexel at home. On Nov. 18, the Quakers will take a trip up north to St. Joseph’s University to determine seeding for the tripleheader at home.
Although the Quakers came up short in pod play during the 2025 season, they entered the second consolation final with a vengeance, beating La Salle 65-52 to claim fifth place in the tournament.
The Quakers missed the Ivy Madness tournament for the first time in four years at the end of last season, ultimately finishing 7-7 in conference play for fifth in the Ancient Eight. Although the Red and Blue retain All-Ivy selections senior guard Mataya Gayle and junior forward Katie Collins, Quaker fans can expect to see some shakeup in the starting lineup this fall.
