Kentucky and St. John's Are Talking a Two-Year Series That Starts at Arthur Ashe Stadium

Mark Pope and Rick Pitino might be running it back, and on a stage college basketball has never used. Kentucky and St. John's are in advanced discussions on a two-year series that would open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York in November 2027, with a return game at Rupp Arena the following season, per 247Sports' Jon Rothstein.

Arthur Ashe Stadium is the home of the US Open. It has a retractable roof and seats 23,771 for tennis, and it would be hosting its first college basketball game. The only basketball game the venue has seen was the 2008 Liberty Outdoor Classic, per Kentucky Sports Radio.

Pitino confirmed the talks on Inside College Basketball Now, with one catch: Kentucky hasn't sent a contract yet. "I want to go back to Rupp (Arena) and play them and I certainly want to play them here... But my captain keeps saying that and I never see a contract," Pitino said, per KSR. The captain is Pope, who led Pitino's 1996 national title team.

The Cats beat St. John's 78-66 in last season's CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, and Kentucky leads the all-time series 12-5.

Our Take: This is the kind of nonconference game BBN should want. Pope against his old coach, a sold-out New York crowd and a first-of-its-kind venue is a national TV event in November, and a guaranteed Rupp date in return makes it an easy yes. Nothing is signed, so what to watch is simple: whether Kentucky gets Pitino that contract.

via 247Sports

Sources: 247Sports: St. John's, Kentucky in advanced discussions for Arthur Ashe Stadium series, Kentucky Sports Radio: Kentucky, St. John's in talks for two-year series