Some of the most iconic names in the history of basketball, such as Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and plenty of other Hall of Famers, have played on the hallowed hardwood at the Palestra, a nearly century-old arena that is as revered of a place as there is in the sport today.

This Sunday, four different Landmark Conference schools will make the Palestra their home.

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The Landmark Conference’s Palestra Gameday is back for the third straight season with another stacked card of games, putting the NCAA Division III league on one of the biggest and most historic stages in the sport for a day with four conference matchups sure to give those watching an experience they will remember forever.

Countless eyeballs have watched games be played over the past 98 years at the Palestra, but far fewer people have gotten a chance to play there. Saturday, however, those on teams slated to suit up on one of college basketball’s most storied courts will get the chance of a lifetime.

Here’s a look ahead at all you need to know for the third year of the Landmark Conference’s Palestra Gameday, which will be streamed live and only on FloCollege this weekend:

What Is The Palestra?

The Palestra is a bucket-list spot for many college basketball junkies, and for good reason. Opened in Philadelphia in 1927, it is the oldest continuously used major college arena in the country and is located on the Penn campus, normally being home to the Quakers men’s and women’s hoops teams. 

But the venue, which with its close-quarters seating often feels and sounds much louder than its 8,700 capacity, is most known for its history with the iconic Philadelphia Big 5 — Villanova, Saint Joseph’s, Temple, Penn, and La Salle — plus fellow Philly school Drexel. 

Across the decades, there have been many, many classic rivalry showdowns that have happened between the city’s esteemed college basketball schools, with at least one men’s program from the Big 5 making every NCAA Tournament held from 1977-2022. It has hosted more games since its opening than any other venue in college basketball, and in a sport full of iconic and impressionable atmospheres, few (if any) can beat a full-house Palestra watching two highly-touted squads going toe to toe. 

WATCH: Tour Of The Palestra aka The Cathedral of College Basketball

What is the Landmark doing at The Palestra?

The Landmark Conference, an NCAA Division III league with schools based in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C., has played a series of basketball games over the past two seasons at The Palestra, holding two men’s and two women’s league matchups at the venue on the same court that numerous legendary college basketball players have also stepped foot on. 

The conference is once again returning to the Cathedral of College Basketball later this month with a quadruple-header of games as the roaring success of the league’s last two appearances at the venue has quickly turned the event into a yearly tradition, turning what would otherwise be run-of-the-mill conference matchups into unforgettable experiences that players and fans of the programs involved won’t soon forget. 

"The Landmark Conference is honored to return to the Palestra for a third consecutive year, marking a significant milestone in the tradition we are building with this legendary venue,” Landmark commissioner Katie Boldvich said in an August announcement that the league would come back to Palestra. “The opportunity to play in a place steeped in history and revered by college basketball fans is truly special for our student-athletes and fans alike. We are proud to carry on this tradition, allowing our conference to be part of the rich legacy that the Palestra represents in the world of college basketball."

What Landmark Games Will Be Played At The Palestra?

A pair of men’s and women’s doubleheaders will make up the third edition of Palestra Gameday on Saturday, Jan. 12, with all four games being streamed live and exclusively on FloCollege. 

Elizabethtown (10-1 overall, 4-0 Landmark as of Monday afternoon) and Wilkes (0-11, 0-4) women tip off the loaded slate of hoops at noon (ET), followed immediately by the Blue Jay men (5-6, 2-2) duking it out with the Colonels (9-2, 3-1) at 2:30 p.m. 

The second two-fer of the day, meanwhile, will feature first a women’s showdown between Lycoming (2-8, 1-3) and Moravian (2-9, 0-4) at 5 p.m. with the men getting going right after at 7:30 p.m., as the Warriors (2-9, 1-3) and Greyhounds (7-4, 2-2) will close things out.

What games/teams should I watch out for?

Ranked No. 22 in the most recent D3hoops.com national women’s top-25 poll — one of three Landmark teams in the poll, along with No. 4 Scranton and No. 24 Catholic — Elizabethtown will be making its second straight Palestra Gameday appearance this weekend with hopes that it can repeat the experience it had last season, when the Blue Jays blasted Goucher by an 84-34 margin and Cyleigh Wilson knocked down a program- and Landmark-record nine 3-pointers. 

Etown is white-hot — having won nine straight games since losing on opening weekend to Ohio Wesleyan — and gotten off a perfect 4-0 start to conference play, with its biggest win of the year to date coming at then-No. 12 Catholic as the Blue Jays went to the nation’s capital and picked up a statement ranked victory. 

Though a midweek showdown at Scranton on Wednesday evening will determine whether or not Etown is still flawless in Landmark play heading into Palestra Gameday, the Blue Jays should regardless be primed to put on a show at the Palestra with the second-best team field goal percentage in all of D-III (48.6%) and a lethal scoring duo in Summer McNulty (14.0 points per game) and DaniRae Renno (13.5). 

DaniRae Renno, the 31st player in team history to reach 1,000 career points with her first basket of tonight's win over Ursinus in front of our home crowd! Way to go, DaniRae! #GraceAndGrit pic.twitter.com/y0BAwTNkbP

— Etown College WBB (@BlueJaysWBB) December 31, 2024

On the men’s side, look out for Moravian, which has the effective one-two of possessing both the second-best 3-point percentage (36.4%) and best 3-point percentage defense (28.8%) in the Landmark and could equal its entire win total from 2023-24 this weekend, if it wins both at the Palestra and at Drew on Wednesday. 

Junior forward Marquis Ratcliff (19.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks per game) is the Landmark’s third-leading scorer, top rebounder, and top shot-blocker, being worth the price of admission (or a FloCollege subscription) on his own for the way he can dominate a game on both ends of the floor.

How Can I Watch The Landmark’s Games At The Palestra?

FloCollege will be the home of the third edition of the Landmark Conference’s Palestra Gameday, with a full schedule and information for Saturday with a link for Landmark fans to subscribe to FloCollege at an exclusive discounted rate available here. 

In addition to the games at the Palestra, FloCollege is the exclusive home for Landmark Conference events and coverage all throughout the 2024-25 academic year to go along with numerous other leagues across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III. Landmark fans can watch events across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on their favorite digital and streaming services, including Amazon Fire TV, ROKU, Apple TV, and Android TV.

How To Watch College Basketball On The FloSports Network

Basketball games are streaming all year long on FloHoops, FloCollege and the new FloSports streaming app. Game replays, highlights and more will be available on all platforms. 

Watch NCAA Women's Basketball On FloHoops

The NCAA Women's Basketball is streaming live on FloHoops and the FloSports app. 

The BIG EAST Digital Network is also on FloHoops and the FloSports app.

FloHoops Archived Footage

Video footage from all events will be archived and stored in a video library for FloHoops subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.

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