St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Host Successful Sunday Supper
9/22/2025 3:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Event generated more than $520,000 in support of St. John’s Men’s Basketball
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's Athletic Department hosted the second edition of Sunday Supper this past weekend, raising funds and generating excitement for the upcoming Red Storm men's basketball season.
Held at Russo's on the Bay in Howard Beach, the event raised more than $520,000 on behalf of the reigning BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Champions. In just its second year of existence, Sunday Supper has now surpassed the $1 million mark in support of Red Storm Men's Basketball.
Sunday Supper brought together alumni spanning eight decades and a lengthy list of prominent St. John's administrators, board members and donors, including Chair of the Board of Trustees Bill Janetschek '84 CBA, whose record-setting gift this past spring has made possible the upcoming construction of a state-of-the-art practice facility for St. John's men's and women's basketball programs.
Emceed by Vin Parise of FOX Sports, SNY and the St. John's Men's Basketball radio crew, the afternoon's program began with introductory remarks from Rev. Brian Shanley, O.P., President of St. John's University.
"College basketball is a passion of mine, but it's as a university president that I know what the value for the university is of success in basketball," said Shanley. "There's a phrase that's used that athletics is the front porch of the university. It invites people in. It gets eyeballs. Our enrollment numbers are up. People feel good about St. John's. They donate more to the school. It puts us in the papers all the time. We get incredible amounts of free publicity because of the success of our program and this lifts up the entire University. This is not just about winning basketball games. This is about elevating St. John's."
Next to the podium was Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed Kull, who echoed many of Father Shanley's sentiments while discussing the difficulties and opportunities facing the department in this new era of college athletics.
"I know that it's a challenging time in college athletics, but it's truly an opportunity for us here at St. John's," said Kull. "Please know that each one of your dollars-- whether it's our annual budget, whether it's the incredible facility that the Janetschek family is putting forth, whether it's rev share-- you're seeing and feeling where every one of your dollars is going."
The reigning Associated Press, USBWA and Naismith National Coach of the Year, Rick Pitino then took the microphone to discuss the state of the program, preview the season and introduce his players to the gathered crowd of supporters.
"As long as I've been around, 53 years of coaching, this in the finest group of young men, not basketball players, young men as people, I've ever been associated with," said Pitino. "One is nicer than the other. It's been a blast for us to coach these guys."
The 2025-26 season tips off in earnest on Nov. 3 when the Red Storm welcomes reigning MAAC regular season champion Quinnipiac to Carnesecca Arena. Later that week, the Johnnies will make their first of 12 regular-season appearances at Madison Square Garden, the highest regular-season total for the program at "The Mecca" since 1951-52, when they take on Alabama on Nov. 8.
The Red Storm will take part in two local exhibition contests before the campaign officially tips off, welcoming Towson to Carnesecca Arena on Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. before taking on Michigan at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 25 in the Bad Boy Mowers Series- New York. Tip-off against the Wolverines is set for 7 p.m.
Fans can purchase a Madison Square Garden ticket plan by clicking here. The package secures your seat for all 12 regular season games at "The World's Most Famous Arena." The Red Storm will play a record nine BIG EAST contests at MSG in addition to a trio of non-conference tilts against Alabama, Ole Miss and Iona.
Fresh off the program's first outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship in 40 years and the team's first BIG EAST Tournament Championship in 25 years, the Red Storm has welcomed the nation's top-ranked transfer class in addition to a core of returning players led by First Team All-BIG EAST selection and Academic All-American Zuby Ejiofor.
Held at Russo's on the Bay in Howard Beach, the event raised more than $520,000 on behalf of the reigning BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Champions. In just its second year of existence, Sunday Supper has now surpassed the $1 million mark in support of Red Storm Men's Basketball.
Sunday Supper brought together alumni spanning eight decades and a lengthy list of prominent St. John's administrators, board members and donors, including Chair of the Board of Trustees Bill Janetschek '84 CBA, whose record-setting gift this past spring has made possible the upcoming construction of a state-of-the-art practice facility for St. John's men's and women's basketball programs.
Emceed by Vin Parise of FOX Sports, SNY and the St. John's Men's Basketball radio crew, the afternoon's program began with introductory remarks from Rev. Brian Shanley, O.P., President of St. John's University.
"College basketball is a passion of mine, but it's as a university president that I know what the value for the university is of success in basketball," said Shanley. "There's a phrase that's used that athletics is the front porch of the university. It invites people in. It gets eyeballs. Our enrollment numbers are up. People feel good about St. John's. They donate more to the school. It puts us in the papers all the time. We get incredible amounts of free publicity because of the success of our program and this lifts up the entire University. This is not just about winning basketball games. This is about elevating St. John's."
Next to the podium was Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed Kull, who echoed many of Father Shanley's sentiments while discussing the difficulties and opportunities facing the department in this new era of college athletics.
"I know that it's a challenging time in college athletics, but it's truly an opportunity for us here at St. John's," said Kull. "Please know that each one of your dollars-- whether it's our annual budget, whether it's the incredible facility that the Janetschek family is putting forth, whether it's rev share-- you're seeing and feeling where every one of your dollars is going."
The reigning Associated Press, USBWA and Naismith National Coach of the Year, Rick Pitino then took the microphone to discuss the state of the program, preview the season and introduce his players to the gathered crowd of supporters.
"As long as I've been around, 53 years of coaching, this in the finest group of young men, not basketball players, young men as people, I've ever been associated with," said Pitino. "One is nicer than the other. It's been a blast for us to coach these guys."
The 2025-26 season tips off in earnest on Nov. 3 when the Red Storm welcomes reigning MAAC regular season champion Quinnipiac to Carnesecca Arena. Later that week, the Johnnies will make their first of 12 regular-season appearances at Madison Square Garden, the highest regular-season total for the program at "The Mecca" since 1951-52, when they take on Alabama on Nov. 8.
The Red Storm will take part in two local exhibition contests before the campaign officially tips off, welcoming Towson to Carnesecca Arena on Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. before taking on Michigan at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 25 in the Bad Boy Mowers Series- New York. Tip-off against the Wolverines is set for 7 p.m.
Fans can purchase a Madison Square Garden ticket plan by clicking here. The package secures your seat for all 12 regular season games at "The World's Most Famous Arena." The Red Storm will play a record nine BIG EAST contests at MSG in addition to a trio of non-conference tilts against Alabama, Ole Miss and Iona.
Fresh off the program's first outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship in 40 years and the team's first BIG EAST Tournament Championship in 25 years, the Red Storm has welcomed the nation's top-ranked transfer class in addition to a core of returning players led by First Team All-BIG EAST selection and Academic All-American Zuby Ejiofor.
Players Mentioned
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