Philadelphia’s Big 5 won’t be there for the most prestigious men’s college basketball tournament for the first time in over 40 years, writes Dave Uram for KYW Newsradio.

None of the Philly-area teams—Villanova, Saint Joseph’s, Temple, La Salle, Penn and Drexel, made it to the NCAA Tournament field of 68 owing to a down year in their programs. The last time that happened was in 1977.

Villanova’s feeling the brunt of it, having to deal with no Justin Moore for most of the season due to an injury, compounded by the team transitioning to a new era when Kyle Neptune replaced Jay Wright.

“It’s a transition year, and every league has them,” said Ed Rendell, the former governor of Pennsylvania and mayor of Philadelphia, who’s a Big 5 fan and a Penn alum. “In fact, Villanova will be stronger next year.”

Former Saint Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli, now associate head coach at Michigan, said it’s a new time “and hopefully this is abnormal that there are no city schools in the NCAA Tournament.  

He added, “Philadelphia basketball, college basketball is envied across this country, and we cannot let that slip away.”

Read more about changes for the Big 5 in men’s basketball at KYW Newsradio.

CBS Sports outlines the 2023 upset picks from each region in the NCAA tournament.