After Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance, St. John’s Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino issued an open invitation to the Puerto Rican artist to attend any of the team’s games.
The invitation came after the 2025 NFL season concluded with the Seattle Seahawks defeating the New England Patriots 29–13 in Super Bowl LX to claim their second championship. Bad Bunny — born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — performed an entirely Spanish-language halftime show at Levi’s Stadium after the first two quarters.
The performance drew criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social that it was the worst Super Bowl halftime show ever. He wrote that the show “makes no sense,” claimed it was “an affront” to America, and complained that viewers “don’t understand a word” of the performance, also criticizing the dancing and saying it was inappropriate for children watching.
Despite the backlash, Pitino — who previously coached Puerto Rico’s national team — said he enjoyed the halftime show. He shared his reaction on X, writing that watching Bad Bunny perform was “awesome,” and added that the artist would have “a seat on the Johnnies bench anytime,” ending with “Viva Puerto Rico!”
Pitino, 73, has been head coach at St. John’s since taking over the program in 2023.
A day before the Super Bowl, St. John’s delivered a major upset at Madison Square Garden, beating previously undefeated UConn. The Red Storm entered the matchup ranked No. 22 nationally, while UConn was No. 3. The teams were tied 39–39 at halftime before St. John’s pulled away in the second half for an 81–72 win.
On Monday night, the Red Storm returned to the Garden and defeated Xavier 87–82 in overtime. Forward Zuby Ejiofor led the way with 25 points.
The win also came against Pitino’s son, Richard Pitino, who is in his first season as Xavier’s head coach. Afterward, Rick Pitino said he hoped the teams would not meet in the Big East Tournament, praising his son and calling him “a hell of a coach.”
