Is This a One-Time Deal? 3 Takeaways From Minnesota Scheduling St. Thomas

The wait is finally over! It has been more than five years since the University of St. Thomas made the unprecedented jump from Division III to Division I athletics, and the University of Minnesota will finally host the men's and women's basketball programs in 2026. The announcement is much more than your normal nonconference matchup, and here's why.

One-game deal?

Longtime Minnesota sports reporter David Shama spoke to Gophers head coach Niko Medved about the matchup. It appears that there currently aren't any plans for an annual series, but he also sounds open to any future games.

"I am not going to play them every year. That doesn’t make sense for us to do that," Medved told Sports Headliners... "I am not saying we’ll never play them again."

“I am not going to play them every year,” #Gophers Medved told @DavidShamaMinn on the St Thomas matchup. “That doesn’t make sense for us to do that…I am not saying we’ll never play them again.” https://t.co/DxLM6HsL7B pic.twitter.com/HEiKz6rzou
— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) June 8, 2026

Medved has been strategic with everything he has done since becoming head coach of the Gophers, and this might just be another move. They have all the leverage, and they can see how this year's matchup goes before locking into anything long-term.

Why it matters

Anyone who follows college basketball closely knows that a home game against St. Thomas will do very little for the Gophers men's or women's NCAA Tournament resumes. The Tommies are almost guaranteed to be a Quad 3 game for the men's team and a Quad 4 for the women's team. Losing either game would severely hurt their postseason resumes, and a win would do very little.

If you're saying, "Well, Minnesota has nothing to gain from playing St. Thomas," — that's a very lame way to look at sports and competition in general. The Tommies are the only other Division I program in the state, and waiting five years to play them is five years too long. Fans of basketball in the state would much rather watch a Minnesota-St. Thomas matchup than a nonconference buy-game against a team like Fairleigh Dickinson or Manhattan. College sports are meant to be regional, and this game will generate a ton of excitement in the state of Minnesota.

Location

If Minnesota-St. Thomas becomes an annual nonconference matchup, and the location will play a major factor. This year's games will both be played at Williams Arena. Many people have suggested playing a men's and women's double header at the Target Center, but that idea will have to wait.

Medved's comments and the fact that the inaugural games will be played at Williams Arena give Minnesota all the leverage. This year has the chance to be a trial run before any of the teams agree to anything long-term.

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