St. Thomas released its entire 2026-27 men’s basketball schedule on Wednesday, and there are plenty of intriguing matchups for its sixth season as a Division I program. Here are five must-watch games for mid-major basketball fans in Minnesota.
All set for 2026-27 🔒
🎟️ https://t.co/jV7VW8tuyo#RollToms | #CompetitiveJoypic.twitter.com/cKoRP09wYG
— St. Thomas Men’s Basketball (@TommieMBBall) September 9, 2026
1. AT Minnesota: Nov. 6
The wait is finally over; the first matchup between the Tommies and Gophers as Division I programs is happening this season. St. Thomas was ravaged by the transfer portal in the offseason, with four of its top five scorers heading elsewhere, so playing a Big Ten program in the second game of the season is a tough draw. Minnesota should be heavy betting favorites, but there should still be plenty of buzz.
2. VS. North Dakota State: Jan. 7
As long as David Richman is the head coach of North Dakota State, the Bison will probably be St. Thomas’ biggest competition in the Summit League. Both teams’ conference openers will be on Jan. 7 at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. Students won’t be back from winter break, which is a tough draw for the Tommies, but it should be a fun matchup between two of the conference’s best programs.
3. VS. UC San Diego: Dec. 15
Jonny Tauer and his staff did a great job scheduling multiple competitive mid-major programs such as Presbyterian, Liberty, Princeton, Arkansas State and UNC Asheville. But getting UC San Diego to travel to St. Paul on Dec. 15 is a home run. The Tritons were a 12 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and they proceeded to have 23 wins last season under first-year head coach Clint Allard. Suppose you’re a fan of mid-major hoops: UC San Diego-St. Thomas is an elite option.
4. Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic
Continuing the theme of mid-major hoops, St. Thomas’ holiday tournament in Wilmington, North Carolina, is a fun one. They will face Liberty, Princeton and UNC Wilmington over a four-day span across Thanksgiving Week. All four programs have a great chance of winning their mid-major leagues this season, which should make for a fun stretch of games.
5. AT Stanford: Dec. 22
Assuming that most people won’t make the trip to Palo Alto, California, three days before Christmas, St. Thomas vs. Stanford will be some fun television viewing for the college basketball sickos. The Cardinal will have a new-look roster without star point guard Ebuka Okorie, and it’s always fun to see a team like St. Thomas take on a power conference squad.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Sports News and Rumors section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.