What Are We Waiting For? Minnesota and St. Thomas Should Play Every Year

An annual basketball series between the Gophers and Tommies is long overdue.

Nov 7, 2022; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; St. Thomas - Minnesota Tommies head coach Johnny Tauer watches action against the Creighton Bluejays during the first quarter at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Minnesota and St. Thomas have both put the finishing touches on their 2026-27 rosters, which means we're at the part of the offseason where they're building their nonconference schedules. Will the state's only two Division I programs finally square off? An annual series is long overdue.

One of the biggest hurdles to clear in a potential in-state rivalry series is the location. Playing a double-header for the men's and women's teams at the Target Center feels like a no-brainer. If Minnesota doesn't like the idea of a neutral site game, I am sure St. Thomas wouldn't turn down an opportunity to play at the Barn.

The Gophers men's basketball team played 11 nonconference games last season. Five of those teams finished outside the top 300 in KenPom.com's final ratings. They had only three games against teams in the top-75. Their toughest nonconference opponent at home was Campbell, which finished 185th.

You can have whatever opinion you want on the Gophers' nonconference scheduling over the last few seasons, but it's objectively difficult to build fan interest early in the season without any marquee matchups. Minnesota-St. Thomas would fill that void.

The Gophers obviously have more to lose on their NCAA Tournament resume by scheduling a Summit League opponent. It will likely be a Quad 3 opportunity, which does very little for their overall outlook. Those facts have resulted in fewer opportunities for mid-major programs across the country, but Niko Medved and the Gophers have an opportunity to give the little guy a chance and put on an event that every college basketball fan in Minnesota would appreciate.

St. Thomas finished last season 113th in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings. That means a nonconference matchup would've been a Quad 3 opportunity for the Gophers at Williams Arena or a neutral floor. That is the biggest thing against the rivalry ever getting off the ground: the Gophers would gain almost nothing with a win, and a Quad 3 loss would be a huge blemish on their resume.

College basketball has leaned way too far into the NET rankings and resume outlooks. A St. Thomas-Minnesota rivalry would be great for both programs financially, it would generate tremendous interest for college basketball across the state, and it's something both fanbases want to see.

Will it finally happen this offseason? Minnesota sports insider Darren Wolfson responded to a post on X on Thursday, saying, it's "Closer than ever before to being reality."