Pope and Pitino Hopeful for Kentucky-St. John’s Home-and-Home Series After Months of Discussion
After months of negotiation and discussion, St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino and Kentucky head coach John Calipari are optimistic about the potential for a high-profile home-and-home basketball series between their two programs.
The proposed series has generated considerable excitement in the college basketball world, bringing together two of the sport’s most storied programs.
Pitino, who returned to St. John’s in 2023, has long been a fixture of college basketball, having built a national championship-caliber program at Louisville and now looking to revitalize St. John’s, one of the premier programs in New York City.
Pitino is no stranger to marquee matchups, and this proposed series against Kentucky, another program with a rich history and high expectations, would elevate the sport’s visibility. Pitino and Calipari, both former NCAA champions, are particularly eager to see this idea come to fruition.
The discussions surrounding the series have been ongoing for several months, with both coaches working behind the scenes to make the games a reality. According to Pitino, the idea of playing Kentucky has been a dream matchup for years.
“It’s not just about the games themselves but the prestige of playing a team like Kentucky,” Pitino said in a recent interview. “It’s about bringing St. John’s back into the national conversation, and what better way to do that than by playing against a program with the tradition of Kentucky?”
For Calipari, a home-and-home series with St. John’s is equally enticing. Kentucky, with its strong fan base and annual national title aspirations, has always looked for challenges to test its roster. A matchup with St. John’s, especially under Pitino’s leadership, would be a game with significant implications on the national stage.
Calipari has made it clear that he welcomes these types of opportunities, emphasizing the importance of scheduling tough non-conference games to prepare for NCAA tournament competition.
Both coaches also recognize the broader appeal of this series beyond just their programs. Kentucky-St. John’s is a clash of basketball royalty, and it has the potential to draw national attention and fill arenas on both campuses. The rivalry could spark renewed interest in Big East basketball as well, as St. John’s looks to assert itself as a powerhouse under Pitino.
Sources close to the negotiations say the two schools are now finalizing the terms, with the first game likely to take place at Kentucky’s Rupp Arena, and the return game at St. John’s’ Carnesecca Arena in Queens, New York. This home-and-home series could come to fruition as early as the 2025-2026 season, pending the finalization of logistics.
While details are still being ironed out, the excitement surrounding this potential matchup is palpable. Both Pitino and Calipari, along with their respective fan bases, are eager to see this long-discussed series come to life, which would undoubtedly be a landmark event in college basketball.
