Madison Square Garden is on track to return to its former glory as the center of college basketball in the upcoming 2025-2026 basketball season. The World’s Most Famous Arena will host eight of the top 10 and 13 of the top 25 teams in the Associated Press preseason rankings this season.
“Madison Square Garden will once again be the top destination for college basketball this season,” Joel Fisher, executive vice president of MSG Entertainment, said. “We are thrilled to host eight of the top 10 and 13 of the top 25 teams in the country, along with a record number of St. John’s games.
St. John’s, ranked a program-best No. 5 in the preseason poll and the defending Big East regular-season champions, will play 13 games at the Garden this season. Led by head coach Rick Pitino, this is the most games played at MSG since the 1950-51 season and will set a record number at the current Arena.
Following a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Red Storm brought in the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country this season, including Ian Jackson, Dillon Mitchell, Oziyah Sellers, Bryce Hopkins, and Joson Sanon. They will join forces with the returning Big East Most Improved Player, Zuby Ejiofor.
For the first time in Garden history, the college basketball slate tipped off in October when St. John’s played No. 7 Michigan in an exhibition matchup. Following this, the Red Storm will face No. 15 Alabama, Ole Miss, and Iona.
Conference play will feature MSG-hosted matchups against Providence, Marquette, Seton Hall, Butler, No. 4 UConn, Xavier, No. 23 Creighton, Villanova, and Georgetown as part of the regular season schedule.
Additionally, the State Farm Champions Classic, featuring No. 6 Duke, No. 19 Kansas, No. 9 Kentucky, and No. 22 Michigan State, will return to MSG on Nov. 18. This neutral-site doubleheader debuted at MSG in 2011 and returned in 2016, 2019, and 2021.
No. 17 Illinois will also return to MSG for the fourth consecutive season to play against UConn in a rematch of the 2024 East Regional Final in the SentinelOne Showdown on Black Friday this year.
To conclude the season, the Big East Tournament will return to Madison Square Garden for the 44th consecutive year from March 11-14.
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