Nearly one year after hiring Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino to change the fortunes of its basketball program, St. John’s University made a sweeping change to its athletics leadership. After mutually parting ways with former athletic director Mike Cragg, alumnus Ed Kull was tabbed as his successor.
Kull was officially introduced in September 2024 and became the head of a department that was being forced to adapt to a new college athletics landscape: the name, image and likeness (NIL) era.
Since his introduction, the University — and specifically the men’s basketball program — has implemented many changes, none potentially bigger than a complete overhaul of the men’s basketball season ticket system coming this summer.
In an email sent to season ticket holders on Jan. 21, Kull outlined a revised priority points system that factors in donations, NIL contributions and tenure to determine new seat selections. With NIL now a major factor in college athletics, the system incentivizes donations to programs that support student-athletes.
Through the NCAA v. House settlement in October 2024, the amateur sports world will be revolutionized. Current players earn new benefits, former athletes receive NIL compensation and a revenue-sharing model is set to be introduced, per the Ave Maria School of Law.
In an exclusive interview with The Torch, Kull emphasized the importance of giving fans a period to adjust to the new system, noting that multiple factors will influence seat selection.
“It’s going to be either a combination of how long you’ve been an active season ticket holder, [if] you’re giving to the University, athletics [or] NIL,” he said. “I did this in January because I knew we needed the six-month runway to talk about it.”
For fans concerned about immediate changes, Kull reassured them that seat relocations wouldn’t take effect until summer 2025, giving them ample time to prepare.
“I’m not moving your seats for this season. I’m going to move them in the summer [2025] in preparation for next season,” he said. “We’re trying to have a pre-ranking after this season where folks currently rank amongst each other.”
Kull also detailed how fans looking to improve their seats can navigate the new process.
“If you’re looking to upgrade your seats, think about giving a donation before June in our fiscal year,” he said. “They’ll select their new seats on a website. We have two venues. It’s a little challenging, probably more for Carnesecca Arena. [Madison Square Garden] has a lot of seats, so I’m sure everyone will have a pretty good seat at MSG.”
While the new system may seem like a drastic shift, Kull emphasized that it builds on past practices rather than introducing something entirely new.
“[A] priority point system is not brand new to St. John’s. It just hasn’t been promoted, enforced, or executed because supply and demand haven’t been there,” Kull said, referencing a prior change in ticketing format in 2009. “UConn does that. Villanova does it in terms of priority points to their donor base based on giving.”
As St. John’s basketball continues its resurgence under Pitino, the University is betting that a revamped ticket system will fuel long-term success. The program is embracing yet another new era — one where financial contributions and NIL support outweigh tenure when determining seating priority.
