St. John’s won’t be part of the CBS Sports Classic going forward - and it’s not for lack of interest or national appeal.
The Red Storm, rejuvenated under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, had emerged as a natural fit for the high-profile December showcase. But a clause in FOX Sports’ media rights deal with the Big East is keeping them on the sidelines.
Last season, St. John’s took on Kentucky in the Classic down in Atlanta - a matchup that carried more than just marquee value.
It was Pitino vs. his old program, and across the court stood Mark Pope, a former player of his, now leading the Wildcats. It was the kind of narrative-rich, nationally relevant game that the CBS Sports Classic was built for.
So when UCLA opted out of the event through 2029, St. John’s seemed like the obvious replacement, especially with this year’s edition set for Madison Square Garden - the Red Storm’s backyard. But that’s where the FOX “footprint clause” came into play.
The clause, buried in the network’s media rights agreement with the Big East, essentially gives FOX control over where and how Big East games are broadcast - especially within certain geographic regions. Since the CBS Sports Classic is a CBS property, FOX exercised its contractual right to block St. John’s from participating.
“Unfortunately the FOX agreement prevented [St. John’s] from playing in the CBS Classic,” a source close to the program told NJ.com’s Adam Zagoria.
FOX’s deal with the Big East is a six-year agreement that began this season and runs through the 2030-31 academic year. It gives the network primary rights to Big East basketball, and in this case, that means keeping one of its biggest brands off a rival network’s marquee event.
With St. John’s out, Kansas steps in to fill the void left by UCLA.
The Jayhawks will now face Ohio State, while Kentucky squares off against North Carolina at MSG. Kansas is now locked into the CBS Sports Classic through 2029.
For Pitino, now in his third season at St. John’s, it’s a missed opportunity to showcase his program on another national stage.
The reigning AP national co-coach of the year has led six different schools to the NCAA tournament and made seven Final Four appearances. His presence has already re-energized the Red Storm, who came into the season ranked No. 5 in the AP preseason poll and just returned to the Top 25 this week after a brief absence.
The Red Storm are trending up, both on the court and in the national conversation. But for now, due to media rights politics, they’ll be watching the CBS Sports Classic from afar - even if the Garden is just a subway ride away.