February 21, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Brian Browne, Associate Vice President of University Communications and Public Affairs
St. John’s University
718-990-2762 or 917-561-7068 (cell)
[email protected]
Queens, NY (February 21, 2024) – On Sunday, February 25, when the St. John’s University Men’s Basketball team tips off at noon against the Blue Jays of Creighton University, the setting will be “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” Madison Square Garden (MSG). The Garden has long been a home for the Red Storm, known colloquially as “New York’s Team.” On this Johnnies Day, the proud history and contributions of the global St. John’s University are celebrated at MSG, throughout New York City, and beyond.
On Johnnies Day, the University encourages the entire St. John’s community and the city that St. John’s is proud to call home since 1870 to share their St. John’s pride and school spirit in person and on social media during the BIG EAST Conference matchup.
The backdrop of the marquee college basketball event—Madison Square Garden and Pennsylvania Station—will be awash in St. John’s red and white. St. John’s “Education That Elevates” brand campaign will take over Penn Station, the main intercity railroad station in New York City and the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere.
A Penn Station Domination will greet St. John’s fans and commuters with digital and print images that communicate the uplifting mission of St. John’s displayed throughout the complex and in Moynihan Train Hall.
“We know that a St. John’s education elevates all aspects of our students and graduates—and Johnnies Day is a celebration of the past, present, and future of this great NYC institution,” stated Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President.
A weekend of basketball festivities begins on Saturday, February 24, at Carnesecca Arena as the Women’s Basketball team takes on BIG EAST rival Providence at 2 p.m. at the Queens, NY, campus.
The Sunday celebration begins at 10:45 a.m. with a pep rally inside the lobby of The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Various St. John’s giveaways, including St. John’s T-shirts, rally towels, and treats will be available until tip-off. This game will be a “white out” event, so fans are encouraged to wear white.
Fans can also enter to win a pair of St. John’s custom-designed men’s Nike basketball sneakers, courtesy of Alex Katz ’16CPS and his company, Stadium Custom Kicks.
Across New York City and beyond, fans and friends alike are encouraged to enter the social media contest by posting a picture showing their St. John’s pride using #SJUElevates and #JohnniesDay and tagging @stjohnsu for a chance to win a $500 VISA® gift card.
Many special St. John’s alumni will be in attendance including Z-100’s Diamond Cooper ’16CPS and Power 105.1’s Gabe Pabon ’18CPS and Nyla Symone ’17CPS.
To add to the festivities during halftime, speed painter David Garibaldi will create a one-of-kind, St. John’s-themed painting at center court.
The far reach of the St. John’s community will be on display as alumni around the country cheer on the Red Storm Men’s Basketball team at Johnnies Day watch parties held in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, and the tristate region.
After the game, fans can stop by the 1870 Court Tailgate at Stout NYC (owned by Martin Whelan ’84CBA) to gather with fellow St. John’s alumni.
Since 1870, St. John’s University has been part of the life and legacy of New York. Founded in Brooklyn, NY, before New York City was consolidated, the proud and enduring mission of St. John's is to be an institution of higher education for immigrants and their children. That mission has endured for more than a century and a half, and St. John's has grown to be a local, national, and global institution of higher education with an alumni network that totals 198,000+ members strong.
St. John’s is one of the nation’s most diverse institutions of higher education, enriched by a tapestry of cultures that complement an internationalized curriculum. Its New York City roots also give deep connections to the companies and opportunities found in one of the world’s most globally connected cities.
About St. John’s University:
Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), with its main campus located in Queens, NY. St. John’s University also has New York campuses on Staten Island (until June 2024) and in Manhattan; a campus in Rome, Italy; and locations in Paris, France, and Limerick, Ireland.
St. John’s University is comprised of six Schools and Colleges, including the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies; St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; The Peter J. Tobin College of Business (including the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science); The School of Education; and the School of Law.
As of Fall 2023, the University has more than 1,400 full-time and part-time faculty; almost 16,000 undergraduate students; and 3,992 graduate students from 44 states and 119 countries. St. John’s offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs, including 16 doctoral programs.
For media inquiries, please contact the University’s Office of Media Relations at 718-990 1621; [email protected].
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