University of St. Thomas Athletics
Tommie basketball to play Minnesota in 2026-27
6/8/2026 9:59:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota will meet on the hardwood this season. On Friday, the two athletic departments announced that the Tommies and Gophers men's and women's basketball teams will square off during the 2026-27 season, marking the first meetings between the historic programs in nearly 100 years. Both games will be played at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
Basketball fans won't need to wait long to see the St. Thomas men take on the Gophers. The two teams will meet at "The Barn" on Friday, November 6, while the women will square off on December 1. Tipoff times will be announced at a later date.
The first Division I era meeting between the programs will be their eighth all-time match up and first in nearly 100 years. The Tommies and Gophers last met December 11, 1934, according to available records. The previous seven meetings occurred at Minnesota, with St. Thomas' lone win coming December 16, 1933.
According to available records dating back to 1981, this will be the first-ever meeting between the Tommies and Gophers women's basketball programs. St. Thomas female student-athletes were first admitted to campus in 1977 and began competition that same season. The match up will also mark head coach Mandy Pearson's first game against Minnesota since taking over the program in March. Pearson was previously the head coach at Minnesota Duluth and Saint Mary's University before being hired as the fifth coach in program history.
