Rivalries are the lifeblood of college basketball but, in all fairness, St. John’s-St. Francis of New York hasn’t been a rivalry because the Red Storm have been too scared to go on the road against the Terriers.
That has changed.
In a move that could have long-term repercussions, St. John’s and St. Francis will tip off on Dec. 15 in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the first time in almost 20 years the game between the schools won’t be played in the Garden or Carnesecca Arena.
“To play a local school like St. Francis at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn is a natural fit,” said St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin, who agreed to move the home game to Brooklyn. “Some of St. John’s most-prolific players and loyal fans … have roots that trace back to the borough of Brooklyn.’’
The Red Storm have dominated the series, 63-12, but haven’t played on the Terriers’ turf since 1997 when they eked out a 68-66 win.
The Terriers stunned the Red Storm, 53-52 on Nov. 23, 2004, the night Alumni Hall was renamed Carnesecca Arena. “Brooklyn finally has a great arena to call its own and we anticipate Barclays Center will boost excitement in local college basketball,” said St. Francis head coach Glenn Braica.
Which brings up an intriguing scenario:
If the Big East should split, a strong possibility, the Garden would have to choose between a reconstituted league consisting of non-FBS schools such as St. John’s, Seton Hall and Georgetown, or the ACC, which, in addition to Syracuse and Pitt, might also include Notre Dame, Connecticut and/or Rutgers.
Barclays, which already has the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, Kentucky, Maryland, Indiana, Notre Dame, Georgetown, UCLA and Fordham, could become the home to the new Big East Conference tournament as well.
lenn.robbins@nypost.com