The Daily Pennsylvanian :: Todres | Big 5 not so big any longer

There was an eerie feeling last night at the Palestra, even before the game tipped off.

Scanning the arena from press row, I saw completely empty sections in the second tier of the historic gym. Penn's cheerleaders moved their seats from the baseline to the front rows of the student section to fill the rows of sparsely-filled bleachers behind the basket.

The unmistakable racket that usually accompanies Big 5 games at the Palestra - especially Big 5 openers between Penn and Villanova - was supplanted by sporadic shouts from frustrated fans on both ends of the gym. At times, it was almost silent, as though the two teams were scrimmaging behind closed doors.

Usually, the 8,700-seat gym is packed to near capacity for a Penn-Villanova game, creating the raucous and festive environment that has defined the Big 5 tradition for over 50 years. Last night's attendance? 5,328. And even that figure could be generous.

* * *

Just two years ago, when the Quakers played host to the Wildcats, a near-capacity crowd of over 8,000 witnessed a thrilling Penn comeback fall just short. Penn's local players elevated their game on the big stage, leaving everything on the floor against a bigger and stronger team.

Mark Zoller and Brian Grandieri, natives of Blue Bell and Media, Pa., respectively, brought the Quakers back into the game midway through the second half, combining for seven points to tie the game up at 68 before Villanova pulled out a 99-89 win.

I remember that game like it was yesterday - and the headache that followed. It sounded like ambulances and fire trucks had been shuttling up and down the concourse for two hours straight.

Even though the Big 5 had been in steady decline at the time, that classic Penn-Villanova battle summoned the ghosts of the Palestra from the woodwork and heightened the game's importance.

* * *

After last night, I am worried that the Big 5 as we know it is running out of steam. Even as Penn's younger players develop and the team improves, will the Quakers be able to reclaim Big 5 relevance?

Sure, a lot has changed in two years. A team that had been led by seniors has had to revamp itself with freshmen and sophomores. That's simply the ebb and flow of a basketball program that has historically seen more highs than lows.

Penn's regression in the Big 5 unfortunately comes at a time when the significance of the Philadelphia rivalries is declining on the whole. Villanova coach Jay Wright and his players will tell you about how they love to come to the Palestra because of its history.

"This place is legendary," Wildcats forward Dante Cunningham said. "It's always fun to play here."

But that doesn't explain why Villanova does not play its Big 5 home games in the Palestra anymore like it used to in the heyday of the rivalries. The money involved in major college basketball - of which Villanova is a part and Penn is not - has become too enticing to turn down in favor of reviving a great link to the past.

I do believe that all of the Big 5 coaches are genuine in wanting to preserve what truly is a unique experience. Still, there is no simple solution to such a complex problem, and the issue is hardly a recent development.

But no matter how you slice it, Penn's status in the Big 5 took a big hit last night. The damage was done as early as Monday, when the Penn Athletics website was still advertising a ticket promotion for the game.

The Big 5 component of the Penn basketball tradition is seriously struggling to withstand the test of time. If the five schools are serious about keeping the classic Big 5 tradition around for the long haul, then they all need to act fast before it's too late.

Andrew Todres is a senior Political Science and History double major from New York. His e-mail address is todres@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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Comments (7)

What do you recommend be done to revive the Big 5? I'd say your newspaper can go a long way in drumming up support within the Penn community for the rivalries by spending more time focusing on the Big 5 and its history.

Penn does have an ungodly high rental fee...if that were waived for big 5 games (which it isn't) then perhaps more games would be played at the best college basketball arena in Philadelphia. Secondly, read Mike Kern's article in the paper today. While he's a Temple fan and lets everyone know that, he wrote a good write-up about Nova and the big 5. While I would like to continue the tradition, we're in a damned if we do, damned if we don't situation. I like it b/c we will probably go at least 3-1, if not 4-0 for the forseable future, but we also get two "away" games, even though we don't have to leave the city of Philadelphia. And this isn't just about Nova not playing their home games at the Palestra. Temple plays at the Apollo because they can get more fans at their game without paying the fees to Penn to play at the Palestra. It's sad that it has come down to money, but especially in these economic woes, it's hard not to think like that right now. And previouisly, Nova needs the money to compete for recruits for the Big East. We're now flying to Florida, California, and even Africa and need the money for expenses since our recruiting budgets aren't as high as most Big East teams. I wish college basketball was like how it was in the 60's and 70's...where it didn't matter what conference you were from and who you played for, but nowadays, TV talks. To make the tournament, we need to be ultra competitive not only in our OOC but in our Big East schedule, too. If we have to make a sacrifice and not play ever game at the Palestra, then I'm all for it. Now, if we had to take away the Big 5...I don't think anything is worth that...but then again, with the Big 5 in the state that it's in...who knows what the future will hold...i just hope we can continue the tradition, even if only 5000-6000 fans show up

A really good article about the state of Big 5 basketball and Penn basketball. And the follow-up comments were accurate as well. My friends and I were at that Penn-Nova two years ago. I think Nova was ranked 3 in the country. Penn was coming off back-to-back Ivy League titles and returning a senior-laden lineup that had the potential to upset Nova. The game was one of the most exciting games I'd been a part of, even if my team lost in the end. Last night was really disappointing on multiple levels. First, Penn played downright horrible. I understand they're not going to look good against Villanova every year, but I can't stop thinking about how far the team seems to have fallen in the post-Dunphy era. I know they're young, and I want to believe that Miller is the right man for the job, but I'm starting to worry. Second, perhaps there would have been more buzz in the air about the game last night (and more fans in the stands) if Penn was a better team. If Penn had a realistic shot of upsetting #16 Nova, the students would be into it and more Philadelphians would care. Outside of the band, I don't think Nova students even came to the game. And a lot of Penn students seem to have tuned out basketball since the team is so bad. Third, although I hate to say it as a Penn fan, I think Fran Dunphy's move to Temple could be the thing that helps save the Big 5. It seems as though Dunphy is capable of bringing Temple back to national relevance. If that happens, then more or less every year, the Big 5 will be competitive between St. Joe, Temple, and Nova. Penn and La Salle will have years where they compete with the other schools -- hopefully more often than not. I think there are still a lot of Philadelphians that will come out to either the Palestra, Pavilion, or Leacouras Center to watch these teams play. And any time one of these teams makes a big run (St Joes with Nelson/West or Nova with the four guards), the city gets interested. So I really think if we can have about 3 Big 5 teams be relevant on a national level, the city will continue to support the Big 5, no matter where the games are played.

5,328 - no chance. This is the way Bilsky saves face by lying about his attendance numbers. This guy is single-handedly ruining the revenue sports. Attendance is down for football and mens hoops. His heavy-handed style wears thin on the people that work for him. He seems more interested in preserving his own legacy... BMG

http://boards.basketball-u.com/showtopic.php?tid/8258/ It's the Athletic Department's responsibility to drum up student interest for games like this - especially for Nova, which is a marquee game in the schedule. How can you expect to put 3,000 people in the stands for an Ivy game when you can hardly pack 5,000 in to see a top-20 Big East team? Dear Athletic Department, do your jobs - or hire me to do it for you.

They need to bring back the Big 5 Classic. Have all the city schools go head to head all day like they used to. That was one of the best days in city sports. LaSalle, SJU, Penn, Nova, Drexel, and Temple fans all over the Palestra and campus bars having a good time. Why that tradition ended escapes me.

Once again, what is Bilsky doing? He and his cronies who sit down on 33rd street are completely out of touch with the student body and perhaps more importantly, the alumni he covets. Interest is sinking ship. Thanks for nothing, Steve. You are doing a great job of chasing people AWAY!

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