At Long Last, Gophers vs. Tommies Basketball is Officially Happening

The Barn will host the highly anticipated showdowns between the men's and women's teams of Minnesota and St. Thomas.

Niko Medved and Johnny Tauer | Ron Johnson and Mark Hoffman, Imagn Images

The wait is finally over. Minnesota and St. Thomas will officially take the court against each other this year.

On Monday, the programs announced that both their men's and women's teams will square off this upcoming season. Both games will take place on the University of Minnesota campus at the Barn. Niko Medved's men's team will host the Tommies on Nov. 6, while Dawn Plitzuweit's women's team will play host on Dec. 1. Tipoff time for each of the games will be announced at a later date.

Gophers vs. Tommies 🤝

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— Minnesota Golden Gophers (@GopherSports) June 8, 2026

It will mark the first time the Gophers men's team will play the Tommies since 1934, and the first time since St. Thomas made the move up to Division I. For the women's team, it will be the first time in program history that the two teams have played each other.

Basketball fans in Minnesota have been anticipating a potential matchup between the two in-state Division I programs since St. Thomas made the jump in 2021. While Minnesota hockey fans have been able to see the Gophers and Tommies square off on the ice several times over the years, hoops fans have been left out in the cold — until now.

There was no announcement about an annual series between the two Twin Cities-based schools. However, this is a good first step in potentially making that happen.

"We're excited to have St. Thomas on campus for a game this year," Medved said in a statement on the Gophers' website. "Having two Division I programs right here in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is great for the sport, and I know it's something fans are really looking forward to seeing. Our schedules were able to align this year, so it seemed like a perfect time to create a fun environment here at the Barn."

Medved is entering his second year as head coach of the Gophers men's basketball team. He helped guide an often-undermanned Gophers team to a 15-18 record in his first season, including knocking off several top-25 teams.

Plitzuweit is entering her fourth year as head coach of the women's program. During the 2025-26 season, the Gophers reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in over 20 years. Several All-Big Ten selections from last season are set to return and will be joined by an A+ transfer-portal class, setting up for one of the most anticipated seasons in recent women's basketball history.

"Adding this matchup to our schedule creates a great opportunity for our student-athletes, fans and both institutions," said Plitzuweit. "There is tremendous support for women's basketball across the state, and we look forward to a terrific atmosphere on game day."

The Tommies men's team finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record and went 12-4 in conference play, ending the season in second place in the Summit League. The Tommies narrowly missed out on their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth when they lost 67-66 to NDSU in the Summit League Championship Game.

The Tommies women's team finished last season with a 16-16 record, 8-8 in conference play. They finished fifth in the Summit League. Following the 2025-26 season, the Tommies hired former Minnesota Duluth head coach Mandy Pearson to head the program.