NJ Transit will not adjust its World Cup plans to accommodate a Knicks playoff game, the agency tells Front Office Sports.
Knicks fans from New Jersey won’t be able to take the train directly to Madison Square Garden, but instead will need to switch to PATH trains in Newark.
The World Cup is coming to New Jersey for eight matches this summer, including the July 19 final. For those eight days, only World Cup ticketholders will be able to use NJ Transit’s portion of Penn Station for four hours before each match, and for three hours after each match, all riders looking to come into the city will need to transfer to the PATH train in Newark.
One of those eight matchdays is June 16, when the Knicks would host a potential Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder or Spurs.
With the New York Knicks sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, Madison Square Garden will host the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly 30 years. The arena sits atop New York’s Penn Station, the major transit hub through which fans from New Jersey typically enter and exit the city.
NJ Transit has become one of the biggest storylines leading up to the World Cup because of its high prices and major disruptions. The round-trip train ticket from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches was originally announced at $150, but after bringing on corporate sponsors, has fallen to $98.
The Tuesday, June 16 World Cup match between France and Senegal kicks off at 3 p.m., while a possible NBA Finals Game 6 would tip off at 8:30 p.m. With the post-match disruptions starting shortly after 5 p.m. and lasting for three hours, Knicks fans traveling from New Jersey will be rerouted because of the World Cup.
A spokesperson for NJ Transit tells FOS that there will be no change in the agency’s policy for Knicks fans with a potential World Cup–NBA Finals crossover.
The spokesperson said that the last NJ Transit trains Knicks fans can take directly into Penn Station from New Jersey will leave at 5:08 p.m. from Newark Broad St. and 5:23 p.m. from Newark Penn. After that, all NJ Transit riders will need to switch to the PATH trains to get into Manhattan at the 33rd Street station until about 8:30 p.m., though the spokesperson said that ride will be free with an NJ Transit ticket to New York.
“Knicks fans who wish to travel on NJ TRANSIT directly into [Penn Station] will need to plan accordingly,” the spokesperson said.
By the time Game 6 would be over, NJ Transit would be back to normal service.
The Knicks will play either the Thunder or Spurs in the Finals, which begin June 3. The Knicks are set to host Games 3 and 4 on June 8 and June 10.
The World Cup kicks off June 11. The first match in New Jersey is June 13. The Knicks did not immediately respond to a request for comment on NJ Transit’s plans.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the PATH trains, said in a statement that it is “thrilled to welcome the world” during the tournament.
“We are preparing for increased demand across our facilities as part of this coordinated regional effort and will be deploying additional resources across our facilities to move everyone safely and efficiently,” a spokesperson said.
