Syracuse, St. John's Announce Hoop Series

Syracuse University and St. John's University have announced in a joint release a home-and-home men's basketball series that will feature a game at Madison Square Garden and a contest in the Carrier Dome over the next two seasons.

Syracuse will play St. John's in Madison Square Garden on December 15, 2013. St. John's will come to the Carrier Dome the following season on a date to be determined.

"There are traditional series that are very important to us that go beyond conference affiliations," said Dr. Daryl Gross, Director of Athletics at Syracuse. "One of those is St John's, which has an obvious place in Syracuse basketball history. As we continue to aggressively secure rivalries that are dear to us, we are pleased to announce the continuation of this great series between two outstanding universities."

"The St. John's-Syracuse rivalry is one of the classic matchups in college basketball. Generations of our fans have looked forward to this battle each year and we are thrilled that the two programs will continue to play the next two seasons," said Chris Monasch, St. John's Director of Athletics.

Syracuse and St. John's have squared off in men's basketball 86 times overall. The Red Storm is the seventh-most familiar foe in Orange hoop history. Both programs were original members of the BIG EAST Conference. Syracuse moves to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2013-14.

The two programs first met on February 8, 1912. Syracuse owns a 49-37 advantage in the overall series. The two clubs are scheduled to play this season on Sunday, February 10, in the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse and St. John's have been paired in the BIG EAST Tournament four different times. The Red Storm defeated Syracuse, 70-69, in the 1986 final. The Orange won semifinal matchups in 1993 (84-72) and 1998 (69-67). In 1981, a year in which the tournament was played in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse won 71-66 in a quarterfinal meeting.

"The rivalry with St. John's has been one of the strongest for our program," said Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim. "We had some great games when I was in school and the series continued to grow with Coach Carnesecca at St. John's right up to today with Coach Lavin."

"Playing in Madison Square Garden is always a special event for Syracuse and for our fans in New York City," continued Boeheim. "It will be great that our fans in Central New York will have the chance to see St. John's in the Dome the following year."

"St. John's and Syracuse are two of the storied programs in NCAA history, both with top 10 numbers in overall victories and winning percentage. The Johnnies and 'Cuse rivalry is now more than a century old and deserves to continue," said St. John's head coach Steve Lavin. "We are pleased to extend the series, with a date set for our home court at Madison Square Garden next season, and a 2014-15 meeting at the Carrier Dome, two of the great venues in college basketball."

Syracuse University Athletics

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