The St. John's Red Storm have some big-time matchups to play during their non-conference schedule in the 2026-27 men's basketball season.
For the second consecutive year, they are participating in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas during the week of Thanksgiving. Their first game is against the Oregon Ducks, but there is some strong competition they can run into depending on how matchups play out.
The Red Storm will welcome the Arizona Wildcats to New York City for a game at Madison Square Garden and will head south to face the Alabama Crimson Tide as well.
Absent from their schedule this year is the Kentucky Wildcats, whom St. John's faced off against last season in the CBS Sports Classic held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The Red Storm lost that game 78-66.
St. John's and Kentucky could face off at Arthur Ashe Stadium
NEWS: St. John's and Kentucky are in advanced discussions to begin a two-year series in November 2027 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, according to a source.
Rick Pitino tells me that St. John's has yet to see a contract.
CC: @247Sports, @CBSSportsCBB.https://t.co/rczVF7War0
– Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 23, 2026
While Rick Pitino and his team aren't going to get a shot at revenge this season, they very well could in the near future. According to insider Jon Rothstein, St. John's and Kentucky are in advanced discussions to start a two-year series next November that will be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Pitino revealed to Rothstein that his team has yet to see a contract for such a series, but it certainly sounds like something big could be in the works.
Arthur Ashe Stadium is where they hold the US Open in tennis and is located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York. The arena has a retractable roof, so this wouldn't be a true outdoor venue, but it would still create a unique experience for both teams to partake in.
Basketball has been played at Arthur Ashe Stadium previously. There was a WNBA game held there between the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever on July 19, 2008. Dubbed the Liberty Outdoor Classic, the host team came away with a 71-55 victory over the Fever.
That was the first-ever professional basketball game to be played outdoors, held before the retractable roof was installed. Nearly 20,000 people were in attendance for the contest, which was a charity event for breast cancer research.
The Red Storm and Wildcats could become the first college basketball teams to play a regular season game at the venue as early as November 2027. It would certainly create a memorable experience for all of the players and coaches who would be fortunate enough to participate.
There are still hurdles to get over, based on Pitino sharing that no contract has been shared with them. But it sounds as if his old team will be on the schedule to face his current team again as early as next season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/st-johns as St. John's Basketball, Kentucky in Talks for Two-Year Series.