UConn Gets Dates for St. John’s Rivalry Games

The UConn Huskies now know when they'll take on St. John's for their two highly-anticipated rivalry games during the 2025-26 season.
Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half against the Florida Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half against the Florida Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

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Though the UConn Huskies don't yet know how their full Big East schedule for the 2025-26 season will shape up, the dates are set for their two matchups against the St. John's Red Storm, another one of the top teams in the country.

Per CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein, UConn will travel to New York City and take on St. John's at Madison Square Garden on Friday, February 6. Less than three weeks later on Wednesday, February 25, the Red Storm will head to Storrs for a road contest against the Huskies.

As two programs with legit national title hopes heading into the year, UConn and St. John's two-game slate will draw plenty of attention late in the conference schedule next February.

The Red Storm swept the Huskies last season for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign. The first meeting between the teams came at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs on February 7, with St. John's coming out on top by a score of 68-62.

Connecticut Huskies guard Solo Ball St. John's Kadary Richmond
Feb 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Kadary Richmond (1) drives past Connecticut Huskies guard Solo Ball (1) in the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Then, on February 23 at MSG, the Red Storm cruised to an 89-75 win over the Huskies, snapping an eight-game winning streak for the latter at the World's Most Famous Arena.

The programs did not face one another during the 2025 Big East Tournament, as UConn fell to Creighton in the semifinals while St. John's won the entire thing for the first time since 2000.

The Red Storm were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament while the Huskies were a No. 8 seed, though neither could make it beyond the Round of 32 as the former lost to No. 10 Arkansas while the latter fell to No. 1 seed Florida, who would go on to be crowned as the national champions.

Though UConn is coming off of a disappointing season, it remains one of college basketball's preeminent powers after winning back-to-back titles during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.

St. John's is cementing itself as a new force under legendary head coach Rick Pitino, who joined the program ahead of the 2023-24 season. The Red Storm were super active in the transfer portal this offseason, adding the likes of guards Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Joson Sanon (Arizona State) and Oziyah Sellers (Stanford) alongside big man Bryce Hopkins (Providence) while elite center Zuby Ejiofor is returning for his senior year.

The Huskies, on the other hand, are bringing back their nucleus of guard Solo Ball, forward Alex Karaban and center Tarris Reed Jr. while also welcoming in Georgia transfer guard Silas Demary Jr. and five-star freshman guard Braylon Mullins, among others.

Both St. John's and UConn are poised to enter the 2025-26 season ranked as two of the top-five teams or so in the country, making their rivalry games this upcoming year all the more important.

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Jack Markowski
JACK MARKOWSKI

Jack is a New Jersey native who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh as a Media & Professional Communications major in 2024 who is now covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Yankees for On SI.