There has never before been a college basketball game played at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

St. John's men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino is working to change that in 2024-25 by playing Duke there, according to College Hoops Today's Jon Rothstein and Forbes' Adam Zagoria.

"We're not definite, we're in negotiations with that," Pitino told Zagoria Friday. "I know both teams are interested in doing it. I know we've been in negotiations, but I think the likelihood is more positive than negative."

Arthur Ashe can seat more than 23,000 fans, making it the world's largest tennis stadium. The last time the venue hosted a basketball game was a WNBA contest between the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever 15 years ago.

The Liberty and Indiana stepped onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium court in late July, so those players competed in the first regular-season pro basketball game ever played outdoors.

For Duke and St. Johns, who would be playing in the winter months, maintaining the temperature in what is usually the U.S. Open court could be trickier. Arthur Ashe Stadium added a retractable roof in 2016, but Pitino expressed concern that the stadium would be temperate enough.

"Well, first they've got to make sure they have heat in the building," Pitino told Zagoria. "I know it's enclosed but you gotta have heat."

A potential game at Arthur Ashe Stadium isn't the only unique location Pitino is eyeing for the Red Storm in the 2024-25 season. St. John's also plans to play Alabama at Madison Square Garden, Pitino told Rothstein.

"The only problems we have is getting the right dates," Pitino said.

Settling those dates will be important to Pitino, who told Zagoria that securing the game at Arthur Ashe Stadium would be a "major step" for the St. John's brand.

That brand has already been on the rise following the team's hiring of the Hall of Fame coach in March. Several top recruits have since signed with the Red Storm, including top-30 prospect Simeon Wilcher and four-star prospect Jaiden Glover. Glover told the New York Post's Zach Braziller that Pitino influenced his decision to go to school in Queens.

Pitino will now see if he can expand his influence to making Arthur Ashe Stadium history.