St. John’s Red Storm will travel to Madison Square Garden on Sunday at 7 p.m. to play the Syracuse Orange, marking only the second meeting between the programs in ten years. According to Newsday, the matchup is significant for Syracuse residents because the rivalry once defined the Big East and still fuels local pride.
Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino emphasized the importance of a packed Garden, telling reporters, “They’re back, and by that I mean they have great fans and our fans … have got to be in the Garden because Syracuse is going to come 3,000, 4,000 strong.” Pitino’s comment harks back to the era before Syracuse left the Big East for the ACC in 2013, when both schools regularly battled for conference supremacy.
Syracuse fans have long cherished the Garden atmosphere and the rivalry itself. Beginning in 2006, the university ran ads on New York City taxis proclaiming Syracuse “New York’s College Team,” a campaign that reportedly got under the skin of Red Storm players. Guard Phil Greene IV recalled the ads after St. John’s snapped a nine‑game losing streak against the Orange on Dec. 6, 2014.
Both programs enter the game with strong starts to the season. The Red Storm sit at 3‑0 and are ranked 13th nationally, while the Orange are 2‑1, according to the same source. The limited recent history—only one meeting in the past decade—adds intrigue to a contest that once featured annual conference clashes.
The rivalry’s lore includes several memorable moments that still resonate with fans. In the 1986 Big East Tournament final, St. John’s staged a comeback, with Walter Berry’s iconic block preserving a win after Syracuse had led by as many as 13 points. The following year, St. John’s defeated Syracuse 88‑83 before more than 32,000 fans at the Carrier Dome, when the Red Storm were ranked No. 1 and the Orange No. 7. A dramatic overtime buzzer‑beater by Ryan Blackwell gave Syracuse a 69‑67 victory in the 1998 Big East semifinals. More recently, a 93‑60 blowout in a 2025‑26 non‑conference game handed the Orange their worst home defeat, prompting a chorus of boos from Syracuse supporters. The 2001 two‑overtime thriller saw No. 19 Syracuse edge St. John’s 93‑91, with Allen Griffin scoring 31 points at the Garden.
These historic highlights underscore why Pitino wants a full Garden crowd; the game offers Syracuse residents a chance to relive past battles while shaping the next chapter of the rivalry.
What’s next: The game will be televised nationally, and tickets are expected to sell quickly as both fan bases prepare for a high‑stakes encounter. Syracuse supporters are encouraged to attend the Garden to back the Orange and add to the storied atmosphere that has defined this rivalry for decades.
Sources: newsday.com
