There is still a long way to go in building the St. John’s basketball non-conference schedule, but Rick Pitino has some ideas on what could be coming for the 2025-26 version of the Johnnies – and it could be a lot of reunions for the Hall of Famer.
Pitino, while at the Final Four accepting the honor as the Associated Press Co-Coach of the Year, told reporters that St. John’s is in talks with Louisville about a home-and-home series that would begin next season at Madison Square Garden.
It would be returned in Louisville the following season in 2026-27. The history between Rick Pitino and the Cardinals is lengthy after he was fired in 2017 after being named in the pay-for-play scandal but was cleared of any wrongdoing.
He was asked in October, while spending the weekend at Kentucky, if there could be any reconciliation with the school and he wasn’t optimistic. Now, he could be facing the Cardinals in seven months if the talks are able to be finalized.
A game that Pitino really wanted to solidify was a home-and-home series with Kentucky, beginning in Lexington this season, but that fell through months ago after the Wildcats didn’t have any openings in their schedule to complete the series in New York.
Instead, the two sides have turned to an exhibition game that could happen in October and would allow Pitino to return and celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the 1996 National Championship team.
The St. John’s head coach has followed the Wildcats very closely since the captain of that championship team, Mark Pope, was named as the Kentucky head coach.
The Red Storm are also in talks with Michigan about an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden as well as playing Iona, the school in which Pitino came to Queens from, in a non-conference matchup at The World’s Most Famous Arena.
St. John’s is slated to play in the Players Era Festival, the NIL Tournament at the end of November in Las Vegas, although a schedule and opponents have not been finalized for the 18-team event.