The St. John’s basketball team has lost a marquee game from its non-conference schedule after CBS Sports announced that the Kansas Jayhawks will be the full-time replacement for UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic.
The Red Storm filled in for the Bruins this year after UCLA pulled out of the event due to extended travel reasons after going through its first season in the Big Ten.
Kansas’ agreement to join the showcase with Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio State is for four years.
St. John’s lost to the Wildcats this season but was hoping its partnership in the event would last longer than one year when it agreed to join last summer. The Red Storm had been trying to find a way to play Kentucky and Pitino's former captain in Lexington, Mark Pope, but its schedules could not be paired up. The CBS Sports Classic provided the perfect opportunity for the game to be played naturally.
However, with the venue switching from State Farm Arena in Atlanta to Madison Square Garden this season, FOX blocked the Johnnies from participating due to a “footprint clause” in the television contract with the network and the Big East.
FOX did not want St. John’s playing on a rival TV network in a Big East city.
Another hurdle the Red Storm were faced with was its presumptive opponent, Ohio State, expressing concerns about playing on St. John’s home floor while the game would be considered at a neutral site according to the NCAA NET Rankings.
In order to make things fair, the Buckeyes wanted a return game from St. John’s in Columbus the following year, according to a source.
St. John’s would have been open to those terms had it been allowed in the event.
The Johnnies will have a couple of high profile games to fill on its 2026-27 non-conference schedule with current commitments to play its return game against Alabama in Birmingham and a trip back to the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas next season.