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hy is the Philadelphia Five so special to fans? The story behind it that you definitely don’t know
The Philadelphia Big 5 is a unique sports organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. This organization is not just a basketball league, but the epitome of the city's basketball tradition. With the start of the 2023-24 season, Drexel University joins the league of five historic schools, which has now expanded to six schools. These schools are the University of Pennsylvania, La Salle University, Saint Joseph's University, Temple University, Villanova University and the newly added Drexel University.
"Philadelphia has a strong basketball culture, and the Philadelphia Five is at the core of this culture."
The Philadelphia Five Schools Conference was founded in 1955, when La Salle University had just won the 1954 NCAA Basketball Championship. The organization was formed to showcase Philadelphia's basketball prowess and provide financial support for the Palestra, located on the University of Pennsylvania campus. This stadium is called the "Palestra Pandemonium" because of its excellent basketball atmosphere. Competitions are usually arranged as double or triple games, and the spectators are faced with one exciting match after another.
Unique competition mode
In the early days of its establishment, the five teams in the league will compete with each other in a round-robin format until 2023. During this time, the distribution of funding and ticket revenue among all schools made the competition more attractive, and this competitive structure created fierce rivalries between schools within the city. Especially in 1979, women's teams also started following the same round-robin format.
"The competition in the Philadelphia Five Schools Alliance is not just a competition of technology, but also a part of the city's cultural identity."
Over time, however, the Philadelphia Five has experienced different challenges and shifts. With the creation of the Big East and Atlantic 10, the cultural identity of the Philadelphia Five schools faced competition from across the country. In 1991, the men's round robin ended, marking the end of an era. Although competition was reinstated in 1999, the spirit of equal revenue sharing was no longer present, and the Palestra is no longer the venue for all competitions.
Competition and cooperation: the story behind it
It is worth mentioning that the competition among the five Philadelphia schools is not limited to the basketball court. Among these schools, especially the "Holy War" between Saint Joseph's University and Villanova University once became a widely circulated story. This game is not only a basketball game, but also involves the religious background and historical rivalry between the two universities. Correspondingly, the rivalry between Temple University and St. Joseph's University intensified in the late 2000s due to an incident known as "Goon Gate."
"The outcome of these games not only determines honors, but also affects the basketball culture of the entire city."
Villanova's success sparked debate in the city over whether he should be considered a "Philly school." Although its campus is located outside the city limits, fans believe that Villanova has always had deep ties to the city due to the success of playing some of its games in Philadelphia and the Reading League season.
Future Outlook and Conclusion
In 2023, the Philadelphia Five Schools Alliance ushered in new changes. The addition of Drexel University and the establishment of the new "Philadelphia Five Schools Classic (Big 5 Classic)" allowed this ancient alliance to retain its traditional At the same time, new energy was introduced. Although there are different voices for the rule change, none of these can erase the significance of this sports event in Philadelphia - it is a symbol of the cohesion of the city's community and a continuation of cultural heritage. As the new season approaches, fans can't help but wonder, can the season opener reignite the spirit of competition and cooperation among the five Philadelphia schools?
