St. John’s University’s basketball teams had a monumental year during the 2024-2025 season, with the men’s team making it all the way to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The team’s success brought it back on a national stage–in fact, Jimmy Fallon dedicated an entire viral skit to the Red Storm.
To maintain this momentum, the University announced that a 25 million dollar basketball practice facility will be built, funded by a 32.5 million dollar donation from Bill Janetchek, the largest contribution in University history. The rest will go towards student scholarships.
It will contain state-of-the-art training space, high-tech video analysis tools, hydro-therapy pools and more. It is planned to open in Spring 2027 near Gate 4.
Many first discovered this development after the Gate 4 parking lot was closed for several days to make way for construction to begin.
Although the practice facility will undoubtedly benefit the Red Storm’s basketball teams, it likely will not have much of a direct impact on the majority of the student population, leading to mixed reactions from the larger community.
“I think the use of these funds mainly for basketball facilities is unfair to the rest of St. John’s students,” junior Annike Engstrom said. She believes that even though the basketball program brings a lot of attention to the school, the donation should be utilized more equitably, especially in light of recent budget cuts to New York colleges.
“I know that over the summer there have been major budget cuts to all departments of the University, not including the basketball budget. While I love attending basketball games, I also love having adequate resources on campus,” Engstrom explained.
Sophomore Katie Caruso similarly believes that the donation should be used for more departments. “I like the idea of upgrading since basketball is one of the biggest things here at St. John’s. However, it would be cool to see some upgrades in other areas, like the academic aspect, in the future,” highlighting that many students would like to see improvements that will directly affect their experience on campus.
Others would like to see investments in recreational endeavors. Sophomore Jackson Lamanna described multiple ideas: “We already have ample things for basketball. Let’s get a pool or hockey rink going,” he suggested.
Lamanna’s friend, sophomore Christopher Camarda, who was joining him for a game of catch on the Great Lawn, shared a similar opinion: “I feel like it could be allocated better. Other sports would obviously be good.”
Despite much negative feedback about the new construction project from students, some think the Red Storm basketball teams earned their increased funding and new practice space since they bolster the University’s school spirit. Sophomore Johnathon Rivera explained, “We like basketball and it’s a fun thing to add to school, so it’s a good investment.”
While there are many mixed reactions to the construction of the new basketball facility, it is clear that the University will continue to fund and create resources for its basketball teams. After their most recent and largely successful season, it appears that they want to increase this momentum, arguably at the cost of other areas of campus life.
