UConn and St. John's Meet for Big East Title

Huskies and Red Storm face off in championship game after splitting regular season matchups.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 4:41am

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The Big East tournament championship game will feature a matchup between the top two teams in the conference, UConn and St. John's. The Huskies and Red Storm split their two regular season meetings, with each team winning on its home floor. Now they'll meet one more time with the Big East title on the line in a highly anticipated clash between two of the best teams in the country.

Why it matters

This game represents the pinnacle of the Big East season, with the conference's two premier programs battling for the championship. Both teams have had impressive seasons, with UConn posting a 29-4 record and St. John's going 27-6. The winner will cement its status as the class of the Big East and potentially earn a high NCAA Tournament seed.

The details

UConn and St. John's have met eight times previously under head coaches Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino, with each team winning on its home floor during the regular season. The Huskies routed the Red Storm 72-40 in their most recent matchup on February 25. However, St. John's has won 18 of its last 19 games and is looking to avenge that lopsided defeat and claim the Big East crown.

  • The Big East tournament championship game will be played on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
  • UConn defeated St. John's 81-72 on February 6, 2026.
  • St. John's routed UConn 72-40 on February 25, 2026.

The players

Dan Hurley

The head coach of the UConn Huskies, who have established themselves as one of the top programs in the country this season.

Rick Pitino

The head coach of the St. John's Red Storm, who has led his team to a remarkable turnaround and a spot in the Big East championship game.

UConn

The UConn Huskies are the reigning Big East regular season and tournament champions, and have a 29-4 record this season.

St. John's

The St. John's Red Storm won the Big East regular season title this year with an 18-2 conference record and have won 18 of their last 19 games.

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What they’re saying

“We're not an upstart or an underdog story. When you're UConn, there's a different level of pressure going into these championship moments where it's like, expected. We don't get the benefit of being the underdog. We've earned a 29-4 position. We've been one of the top five college basketball teams the whole year.”

— Dan Hurley, Head Coach, UConn Huskies (blogspot.com)

“We're playing good basketball right now. I've been impressed so many segments of this season, with the way we responded against Connecticut for Villanova, the way we responded against Seton Hall to get that victory with a lot on the line, so we're proud of our guys. We know we have a road ahead of us that's going to be very difficult, whoever we play.”

— Rick Pitino, Head Coach, St. John's Red Storm (blogspot.com)

What’s next

The winner of the UConn-St. John's championship game will earn an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This Big East title game represents the pinnacle of college basketball, with two of the sport's premier programs battling for conference supremacy. Regardless of the outcome, this matchup between UConn and St. John's will be a must-watch event for any true basketball fan.