Overview
- The University of Minnesota and St. Thomas announced on Monday that the Gophers men will host the Tommies at Williams Arena on Nov. 6 and the Gophers women will host at The Barn on Dec. 1 in the 2026–27 nonconference slate.
- These will be the first meetings between the programs since St. Thomas moved to Division I for 2021–22 and the first-ever women’s matchup between the schools.
- Gophers coach Niko Medved has expressed willingness to schedule St. Thomas but has said he does not intend to make the matchup an annual event, and neither school has announced a recurring series.
- The games follow contrasting recent seasons: Minnesota’s women reached the Sweet Sixteen, Minnesota’s men went 15–18 in Medved’s first year, and St. Thomas men posted back-to-back 24–10 records and played in the NIT.
- Because the schools sit about four miles apart on the St. Paul campus corridor, the announced games are likely to boost local fan interest and may shape how future nonconference scheduling is handled for both programs.