Scheduled for 11 games at MSG, St. John's shows appetite for additional match-ups
In an exciting development for the upcoming 2025-2026 basketball season, St. John's University is scheduled to play at the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG) on November 8, 2025, against the Alabama Crimson Tide. This highly anticipated game is being described as "absolute cinema," indicating a high level of anticipation and potential excitement around the matchup [1][2][4].
Madison Square Garden has long been a significant home arena for St. John's basketball in New York City, and high-profile matchups like this one are often leveraged to boost ticket sales and fan engagement. However, as of now, no explicit announcements have been made about a broader increase in the number of St. John's games hosted at MSG in the upcoming seasons [1][2][3][4].
Athletic director Ed Kull has expressed a desire to play 14 games at MSG next season, but the Knicks and Rangers have priority on dates [1]. Kull is confident in the fan base and what the team is doing, and does not want to limit games at MSG to the capacity of Carnesecca Arena (5,200) [1]. As of now, St. John's is scheduled to play at least 11 games at MSG, with the potential for more depending on availability [1].
In addition to the league games, non-league contests against Alabama, Ole Miss, Iona, and an exhibition game against Michigan will also be held at MSG [1]. The other seven league games will be held at MSG, with three league games against Seton Hall, Butler, and DePaul potentially being played at either MSG or Carnesecca Arena [1].
Coach Rick Pitino has named one of his racehorses "Zuby" after star forward Zuby Ejiofor, who is going into his third year with Pitino [2]. Ejiofor has not yet met the horse, which is training up in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. [2]. Ejiofor expressed gratitude for having a horse named after him, stating that it means a lot to him [2].
St. John's has already sold 8,000 season tickets, an increase from last year's total of 5,600 [3]. Ed Kull is hoping to get up to 10,000 season tickets sold [3].
For those interested in attending or tracking future St. John's games at Madison Square Garden, monitoring official team announcements and ticket outlets will provide the most current updates.
[1] - [Source 1] [2] - [Source 2] [3] - [Source 3] [4] - [Source 4]
- The upcoming 2025-2026 basketball season will likely see the NBA's influence, as the high-profile matchup between St. John's University and the Alabama Crimson Tide is scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden.
- Apart from the league games, non-league contests against teams such as Alabama, Ole Miss, Iona, Michigan, and potential league games against Seton Hall, Butler, and DePaul, will also be held at Madison Square Garden, reflecting the ongoing alliance between college sports and the professional league.
