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Hodge Eyes Madison Square Garden Game for WVU

West Virginia coach Ross Hodge says the program will try to schedule a game at Madison Square Garden next season.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Basketball

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West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said Thursday the Mountaineers will try to schedule a future game at Madison Square Garden against an East Coast opponent. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge said on his radio show Thursday night that the team will try to schedule a game at Madison Square Garden next year. The comments came as Tony Caridi asked whether the opponent would be an East Coast team.

Why it matters

A marquee game at Madison Square Garden would give West Virginia a high-profile showcase in one of college basketball's most recognized venues. It would also revive a rivalry-style matchup with St. John's, whose last meeting with West Virginia was a 79-73 loss in Morgantown.

The most recent meeting between the programs was St. John's 79-73 win in Morgantown on December 1, 2023, the last time the two teams faced each other. No Madison Square Garden opponent or date has been confirmed.

The players

Ross Hodge

Ross Hodge is the head coach of the West Virginia men's basketball team, leading the program's on-court direction and scheduling decisions.

Tony Caridi

Tony Caridi is a longtime West Virginia sports broadcaster who asked Hodge about the potential East Coast opponent during the radio show.

St. John's University

St. John's University is a private Catholic university in New York whose men's basketball team plays many of its home games at Madison Square Garden.

The details

Hodge made the remarks during his radio show, where he said the team will attempt to schedule a game at the famed arena next year. West Virginia's current non-conference schedule includes North Carolina, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Auburn, and the Players Eight Tournament in Las Vegas later this month.

Timeline

  1. December 1, 2023: St. John's defeated West Virginia 79-73 in Morgantown.

  2. Thursday night: Hodge made the Madison Square Garden remarks on his radio show.

  3. Later this month: West Virginia plays in the Players Eight Tournament in Las Vegas.

  4. Next season: West Virginia hopes to schedule its Madison Square Garden game.

Season Trajectory

A Madison Square Garden game would extend a series between West Virginia and St. John's that last met in December 2023, when St. John's won 79-73 in Morgantown. Scheduling a high-profile neutral-site game in New York would add a marquee non-conference showcase to a schedule already featuring North Carolina, Pitt, and Auburn.

Fans tracking the schedule should watch for an announced opponent and date at Madison Square Garden, which would shape the team's non-conference slate. The current schedule already includes North Carolina, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Auburn, plus the Players Eight Tournament in Las Vegas.

The takeaway

A confirmed Madison Square Garden game would signal that West Virginia is seeking higher-profile neutral-site matchups. Readers should watch for an official schedule announcement before assuming the game will happen.

Further reading

For more on the program's schedule and results, see Basketball coverage across West Virginia.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Sports Illustrated.

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