Torch Photo / Sara Kiernan
The Johnnies will trade their Metrocards for Long Island RailRoad tickets as the St. John’s Women’s Basketball team travels to UBS Arena to take on the University of Connecticut on Jan. 11, 2023. This will be the second appearance for Red Storm at Long Island’s newest venue, after Men’s Basketball fell to Kansas last December. The primetime matchup will be the first women’s college basketball game ever played at UBS Arena.
The Women’s Basketball team will play at UBS Arena this January after 1,424 days since the last off-campus home game in 2019, when they took on DePaul in a Sunday matinee at Madison Square Garden.
The St. John’s Athletic Department, in planning this event, appears to have done so with the opponent in mind; according to the UConn Athletics website, the Huskies averaged 8,892 fans at each women’s basketball home game last season.
Based on the statistics provided on the Red Storm’s website, this is more than double what St. John’s Women’s Basketball drew in their entire home slate last year. That figure also doubles the average attendance at each St. John’s Men’s Basketball home game in 2021-22.
Needless to say, this move looks to capitalize on UConn Women’s Basketball’s massive following. It is less than a three hour drive from Storrs to UBS Arena, and a large turnout from Husky fans should be expected. Last year’s showdown between the schools in men’s basketball showcased that UConn’s fanbase travels well, so the same should be expected for the women’s visit to New York in January.
However, for fans of the Johnnies, this is an excellent opportunity to generate school spirit and excitement around the women’s basketball team. To see the school represented at a state-of-the-art venue against a top team in the country is a fantastic opportunity for the student body and local supporters. Redzone and St. John’s Athletics should look to duplicate the experience fans had on last year’s trip to UBS Arena, and hopefully the Red Storm can secure an upset on this massive stage.
Tickets for the Jan. 11 matchup in Elmont went on sale to the general public on Friday, Oct. 21. For last year’s Men’s Basketball contest, Redzone provided limited bus transportation to and from the event. There has yet to be an announcement regarding tickets and transportation for students on the Queens campus.
