Bigger. Better. Big 5.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2
2:00PM
 

Earlier tonight, two matchups decided the seedings and championship game for the inaugural MHS Lift Big 5 Classic.

With a 78-65 win over Villanova at Finneran Pavilion, Saint Joseph’s finished pod play a perfect 2-0 to land a spot in the Championship game. The Hawks will face off with Temple (2-0) who defeated La Salle tonight 106-99 in a triple overtime thriller at the Liacouras Center.

Consolation Game 1 game will feature La Salle and Penn who both finished 1-1 in their respective pods.

Villanova finished 0-2 in Pod 2 and will match up against Drexel (0-2) in Consolation Game 2. Below are the matchups and game times for Saturday’s tripleheader.

Tickets for the tripleheader start at just $45 and are good for all three matchups. Group and premium ticket options are also available at

NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus and Peacock will present live coverage of the inaugural MHS Lift Big 5 Classic college basketball same-day tripleheader at Wells Fargo Center on December 2, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The new series format of the Big 5 will determine the champion from six Philadelphia-area men’s teams: Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, Temple and Villanova.

All three matchups of the inaugural event, including the championship game, will be presented on NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus and stream live on Peacock at 2 p.m. ET, 4:45 p.m. ET, and 7:30 p.m. ET (times subject to change), respectively. The championship game will also encore on NBC Sports Philadelphia on December 3 at 9 p.m. ET. Announcers and other details will be announced at a later date.

Big 5 Classic schedule on Saturday, December 2:

The seeds for the December 2 tripleheader will be determined by matchups played this month. For this year’s Big 5 series, the six schools are separated into three-team pods: Pod 1: Temple, La Salle, and Drexel; Pod 2: Villanova, Saint Joseph’s, and Penn. Each team will play the other two teams from their pod at their individual on-campus arenas from November 7 to 29 to determine seeding for the Big 5 Classic on December 2. One-seed teams from each pod will compete for the Big 5 championship, second-seed teams will compete for third place, and the third-seed teams will compete for fifth place. 

NBC Sports Philadelphia, part of NBC Sports Regional Networks, presents exclusive live-game coverage of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies, along with extensive coverage of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. Serving the Philadelphia region, Southern New Jersey and Delaware, NBC Sports Philadelphia delivers hundreds of live events per year, along with news, analysis and commentary programming and original content. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s digital portfolio, led by NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com, is the top source for live and on-demand video, including live-game streaming, audio, written content and other features covering the region’s teams.

Peacock’s expansive programming offers the most live sports of any streamer in the United States, featuring live coverage including Big Ten Basketball and Football, Sunday Night Football, Notre Dame Football, Olympic Games, Premier League, NASCAR, NTT IndyCar Series, and much more. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel.

Tickets for the tripleheader start at just $45 and are good for all three matchups at big5classic.com.

Comcast Spectacor and MHS Lift, an award winning, nationally-recognized material handling equipment company, today announced a partnership with the South Jersey-based company that will make MHS Lift title sponsor of the inaugural Big 5 Classic.

The first-ever MHS Lift Big 5 Classic will be held at the completely transformed New Wells Fargo Center on December 2. Tickets for the tripleheader start at just $45 and are good for all three matchups. Group and premium ticket options are also available at big5classic.com.

MHS Lift, which is based in Pennsauken, NJ, has been the provider of fork lifts and other material handling equipment at the New Wells Fargo Center since 2019. The organization now has over 53 years of service and over 215 employees at facilities spanning eight states including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Arizona and California.

“We are proud to lead the charge as the title sponsor for the MHS Lift Big 5 Classic, championing the values of determination, teamwork and passion,” said Brett Levin, MHS Lift Co-President.

“As a company deeply rooted in the Greater Philadelphia region, we consider it a privilege to stand behind the incredible schools in our local area,” said Andy Levin, MHS Lift Co-President. 

“We are thrilled to have MHS Lift come on as title partner for the inaugural Big 5 Classic,” said Michael Sulkes, General Manager of the New Wells Fargo Center. “Having a local company on board who understands the significance of the Big 5 in our region will help elevate this new Philadelphia basketball tradition.”

Last April, the Big 5 officially welcomed Drexel University and revealed details of a new series format where the Big 5 champion will be determined during a same-day, Big 5 tripleheader in South Philadelphia 

For the 2023-24 season, Pod 1 features Drexel, La Salle and Temple while Pod 2 features Penn, Saint Joseph’s and Villanova. 

2023-24 Philadelphia Big 5 Men’s Basketball Schedule

• Tuesday, Nov. 7 – Drexel at La Salle
• Friday, Nov. 10 – Penn at Saint Joseph’s
• Monday, Nov. 13 – Villanova at Penn
• Tuesday, Nov. 14 – Temple at Drexel
• Wednesday, Nov. 29 – Saint Joseph’s at Villanova
• Wednesday, Nov. 29 – La Salle at Temple
• Saturday, Dec. 2 – Big 5 Classic Tripleheader at the New Wells Fargo Center

All teams will participate in the Big 5 Classic tripleheader with the first seed in each pod competing for the Big 5 championship, the second-place teams in each pod competing for third place, and the third seeds competing for fifth place.

The New Wells Fargo Center, which is currently in the final stage of its multi-year $400 million transformation, has been the site of numerous NCAA Tournament games, including the NCAA Men’s East Regionals (twice), the NCAA Men’s First and Second Round Games (three times), and the 2000 NCAA Women’s Final Four. Wells Fargo Center is set to host the NCAA Men’s First & Second Round Games in 2026. The arena holds the record for the highest attendance for a college basketball game in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which took place on January 29, 2017, when No. 1 Villanova University used a last-second tip-in to beat No. 24 University of Virginia before a crowd of 20,907. 

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About MHS Lift

MHS Lift is a leading provider of warehousing and distribution solutions to increase productivity and operational efficiency. Since its inception over 53 years ago, the second-generation family-owned, and now employee-owned company, led by brothers Andy and Brett Levin, has grown from a regional purveyor of equipment into a comprehensive material handling system design and integration house with successful implementations across North America. MHS Lift provides warehouse optimization, fleet management, new and used forklifts, aerial equipment, personnel carriers, rental and parts and maintenance. Its diverse client base includes food, manufacturing and retail, ranging from family-owned businesses to Fortune 100 companies. To meet its growing customer base, the company has office locations in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Arizona and California. For more information, visit www.MHSlift.com.

Big 5 Classic to determine Big 5 champion and will be played as part of same-day triple header at the New Wells Fargo Center on December 2

The Big 5 Classic is the latest major event promoted by Comcast Spectacor’s events division, Spectacor Events and Entertainment (SEE)

PHILADELPHIA (April 11, 2023) – Today, the Big 5 officially welcomed Drexel University and revealed details of a new series format where the Big 5 champion will be determined during a same-day, Big 5 triple-header at the New Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The announcement was made on the court at Wells Fargo Center which has been home to numerous NCAA Tournament games, and has featured all of the Big 5 teams in action during its more than 25-year history. 

For the new series, the six schools will be separated into three-team pods: Pod 1: Temple, La Salle, and Drexel; Pod 2: Villanova, Saint Joseph’s, and Penn. Each team will play the other two teams from their pod at their individual on-campus arenas. All teams will participate in the Big 5 Classic triple-header at the New Wells Fargo Center on December 2. The 1st seed teams from each pod will compete for the Big 5 championship, 2nd seed teams will compete for 3rd place, and the 3rd seed teams will compete for 5th place. 

“Drexel University is honored to become part of the Philadelphia Big 5,” said Drexel Director of Athletics Maisha Kelly. “The Philadelphia Big 5 is synonymous with basketball history in the city and it is exciting to have our brand now be associated with such a storied organization. As an institution of higher learning, prominently positioned in the city, we are proud to be aligned with these five schools that combine excellence in both academics and athletics. This is a historic day in Drexel basketball history. We look forward to making the Big Five Classic at the Wells Fargo Center a marquee event for our program, our University, and the Philadelphia sports community.”

“Big 5 basketball and its traditions are a big part of the fabric of Philadelphia basketball,” said Fran Dunphy, head coach of La Salle University Men’s Basketball team. “We look back on the Big 5’s history with great fondness, as we welcome a new member to our group in Drexel University and usher in a new era of Big 5 play. We are all excited to participate in this newly imagined format and the first Big 5 Classic at the new Wells Fargo Center next season.” 

“The New Wells Fargo Center is the region’s premier destination for live sports and entertainment – including basketball – and it’s the perfect venue for the Big 5 Classic,” said Valerie Camillo, President & CEO of Spectacor Sports and Entertainment. “The New Wells Fargo Center is a brand new, world-class arena with first-class amenities, cutting-edge technology, and unmatched parking and transit access, but we also have a rich history of hosting unforgettable college and professional basketball games.  We’re looking forward to creating new memories that will be shared across generations when we bring together these six great university communities together later this year.”

The Big 5 Classic is the latest event hosted by Spectacor Events and Entertainment (SEE), which finds or builds exciting events for the city of Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center and beyond.  SEE spent the past 6 months working to bring the Big 5 Classic to the Wells Fargo Center and will promote the event of behalf of the schools. This revitalized basketball tournament will build on SEE’s impressive early track record of promoting successful events across the region. SEE launched in 2020 by building and promoting the Tinseltown Holiday Spectacular, a holiday light show, dining experience, and market, which draws more than 125,000 visitors annually. SEE has also promoted the Philly Arts and Music Festival and has several more exciting events planned for the future.

The Wells Fargo Center has been the site of numerous NCAA Tournament games, including the NCAA Men’s East Regionals (twice), the NCAA Men’s First and Second Round Games (three times), and the 2000 NCAA Women’s Final Four. The New Wells Fargo Center is set to host the NCAA Men’s First & Second Round Games in 2026. The arena holds the record for the highest attendance for a college basketball game in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which took place on February 13, 2006 when Villanova University played and defeated the #1 ranked University of Connecticut before a crowd of 20,859. 

Wells Fargo Center is currently in the final stage of its multi-year $350+ million Transformation, which is one of the most significant arena projects anywhere in the world. Everything in the arena has been completely re-imagined, and the project will be finalized this summer with brand new player and performer facilities and locker rooms along with a new exterior of the arena.