Under athletic director Ed Cal, St. John’s is set to play 14 games in Madison Square Garden next season, although that number is still up in the air as the school works closely with MSG officials.
Currently, St. John’s has a minimum of 11 games scheduled there, a slight increase from the nine played last year.
It’s possible that three league games against Seton Hall, Butler, and DePaul could take place either at the Garden or at Carnecca Arena, while the remaining seven will definitely be at MSG.
In addition, non-league matchups with Alabama, Ole Miss, and Iona are planned for the Garden, along with an exhibition against Michigan.
“It’s challenging,” Cal remarked at a recent event to celebrate St. John’s new partnership with Adidas for apparel. “Our goal is to have those games at MSG, but it all depends on the scheduling with the Knicks and Rangers. They have priority on dates, yet MSG wants to assist us as much as possible.”
Cal expressed confidence in the fanbase and emphasized not wanting to limit attendance. “I want a bigger crowd than the 5,200 that Carnecca Arena holds,” he added.
Right now, St. John’s is selling season tickets with a target capacity ranging from 5,600 to 8,000, but Cal hopes to bump that figure to around 10,000.
Coach Rick Pitino recently named a racehorse “Zuby” in honor of star forward and co-captain Zuby Ejiofor.
However, Pitino admitted the horse, now two years old, is “slow” and hasn’t raced officially yet.
Ejiofor appreciated the gesture, stating, “It means a lot that he named the horse after me. Not everyone gets to experience that.” He mentioned he’s entering his third year under Coach Pitino, who clearly places a lot of trust in him.
As of now, Ejiofor hasn’t interacted with the horse, which is being trained in Saratoga Springs, New York.
In Louisville, Pitino has named horses after notable players such as Luke Hancock and Russ Smith.
