For the fourth straight season, the University of Pennsylvania men's basketball program will host a multi-team event (MTE) at The Palestra over the Thanksgiving weekend as Hofstra, La Salle and Merrimack come to University City for the annual Cathedral Classic.

  The four teams will play a round-robin schedule over the weekend with doubleheaders starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28; 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29; and noon on Sunday, Nov. 30.

 

  La Salle vs. Hofstra, 2 p.m.
  Penn vs. Merrimack, 4:30 p.m.

  Hofstra vs. Merrimack, 2 p.m.
  Penn vs. La Salle, 4:30 p.m.

  La Salle vs. Merrimack, noon
  Penn vs. Hofstra, 2:30 p.m.

La Salle joins Penn in adding local flavor to this year's Cathedral Classic, becoming the second Big 5 program to participate in the four-year-old event. The Explorers went 14-19 last year and will play the 2025-26 season under a new head coach, as Darris Nichols takes over for Fran Dunphy who retired after last season.

  A relatively new Division I program, Merrimack went 18-15 last year that included a 14-6 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The Warriors then advanced to the MAAC Tournament semifinals. Merrimack was a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) during its transition to Division I; the Warriors earned three NEC regular-season titles during that five-year transition, won the conference tournament title in 2023, and made the tournament final in 2024. Merrimack's head coach is Joe Gallo, who has overseen the program throughout its transition from Division II to Division I.

  Hofstra went 15-18 last season including a 6-12 record in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). Prior to last season, the Pride totaled 45 wins in 2022-23 (25) and 2023-24 (20) and went a combined 28-8 in CAA play. The 2022-23 team earned an NIT bid, beating Rutgers in the first round before falling to Cincinnati. Hofstra's head coach is Speedy Claxton, a Pride alum who enters his fifth season at the helm.

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