MTA Tips Off Big East Tournament Week With St. John’s University at Penn Station

Highlighting Transit as Best Way to Travel to Games

Take the MTA to Watch the Defending Big East Champs St. John's Red Storm Try Go Back-to-Back

St. John's University Pep Band, Cheerleaders, and Red Storm Mascot 'Johnny the Thunderbird' Ride LIRR Train from Jamaica to Penn Station

View Video of Press Conference

View Photos of Train Ride, Pep Rally and Press Conference

View Video of Train Ride

View Video of MTA Special-Edition Basketball Subway Line Symbols at 34 St - Herald Sq BDFM Station

As New York City hosts the annual return of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and St. John's University remind fans that mass transit is the most convenient way to watch the St. John's Red Storm defend their 2025 Big East Championship.

MTA leadership, St. John's Red Storm's mascot Johnny the Thunderbird, St. John's University's Pep Band and cheerleaders all rode in on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) from Jamaica to Penn Station, where a news conference kicked off at Penn Station's renovated LIRR concourse near the new escalators leading up to 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue. The college's pep band wrapped up the news conference with a performance while the concourse's ceiling lights transition between red and white, St John's University's team colors.

"Let's make it two years in a row, grab your jersey and get on the LIRR, the easiest way to get to MSG and support the Red Storm or any of the other Big East Teams," said Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free. "The LIRR's record on time performance and reliability allows customers to have the best customer experience."

"You don't want to miss it, so ride with the MTA to the Big East Tournament!" said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. "In addition to the LIRR, we've also got a ton of subway and bus service coming to Penn Station. Even Metro-North is only a short distance across town at Grand Central."

"Red Storm fans - the BIG EAST Tournament is here, and true Johnnies from every block and every borough know that using the services of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is the best way to get to Madison Square Garden, 'The World's Most Famous Arena,' said St. John's University Vice President and Athletic Director Ed Kull. "Let's fill MSG with St. John's pride! Throughout the BIG EAST Tournament, jump on the subway or LIRR and ride straight into the heart of the action. We are New York's team. We are St. John's!"

"As a season ticket holder. I did take the MTA when I lived in Queens, took the train, took a bus to take the train to get here for games and now as a Long Island resident, I take the Long Island Railroad, the Ronkonkoma branch, to get here like I did today," said Dave Cannon, Senior Student Manager of the 1985 Final Four St. John's Men's Basketball Team and former MTA Construction & Development Chief Procurement Officer. "So, the best way to get here is to use the MTA. Everybody's a Johnny fan in New York this week and let's bring it home, St. John's. Let's go, Johnnies."

The St. John's Red Storm head into the Big East tournament as the number 1 seed with a 18-2 conference record, 25-6 overall. Sellout crowds are expected to cheer on the Johnnies who open the tournament on Thursday March 12 at noon versus the winner of the Providence, Butler game on Wednesday. The 2025 Big East Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 11, and ends with the championship game on Saturday, March 14.

Steps outside Penn Station, traveling to MSG is a breeze. As the busiest transportation terminal in the country, Penn Station has unparallel access to transit.

• Subway: Access to the subway lines and one block away at 34 St-Herald Square.
• Long Island Rail Road: All LIRR branches service Penn Station, whether a direct train or easy transfer at Jamaica, or Woodside for Port Washington Branch customers.
• Buses: The MTA's M7, M20, M34-SBS and Q32 bus routes connect to Penn Station.
• Metro-North Railroad: While a direct connection to Penn Station via the New Haven Line is anticipated to be completed in about two years, Penn Station is a 10-minute subway ride from Grand Central Terminal - Metro-North's Manhattan terminal. If riders would like to shorten their walk, they can take the shuttle from Grand Central-42 St to Times Sq-42 St for a quick transfer to the which takes them to 34 St-Penn Station.

In addition to MTA service, Penn Station is a home terminal for NJ Transit and Amtrak.

LIRR's Concourse Project and Record On-Time Performance
The LIRR Concourse Project raised the ceiling to 18 feet, doubled the width of the corridor, enhanced accessibility, constructed an iconic new Penn Station entrance on Seventh Avenue with improved lighting, air flow, and wayfinding. Upgrades improved the customer experience and increased circulation with minimal disruption to MSG or the station's operations.

And recently, the LIRR has reached several on-time performance records:

• The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) saw the greatest increase of ridership of all MTA modes in 2025, with 81 million customers, a 9% increase from 2024.
• Performance on the LIRR was also at or above record levels in 2025. OTP for the year exceeded 96 percent, an increase of one point from 2024 and the best non-pandemic year in at least a decade. And customer satisfaction reached new heights, with 81 percent of riders feeling satisfied, an 11-point increase from 2024.

Big East Spirit
In spirit of New York being home of the Big East Tournament, the MTA has coordinated with several of the Big East participating schools to have their marching bands play inside Penn Station, by the East End Gateway escalators before games - ramping up the energy and welcoming fans that make their way to Madison Square Garden.