The first time Niko Medved was asked about St. Thomas after his debut win at Minnesota, he sounded almost amused by the omission.
“Unbelievable, I didn’t get one St. Thomas question,” Medved said inside The Barn.
“I’m absolutely freaking stunned. I’m sure that’s coming.”
It is. The Gophers will host the Tommies at 7 p.m. Friday in their first meeting as Division I programs, a matchup that has lingered around Minnesota basketball for years and now finally lands on the schedule.
The conversation around this game has been building since Medved arrived in March 2025, and it only grew after Minnesota opened the season with an 85-50 win over North Dakota on Monday. The Gophers did not play St. Thomas last season, but this one is on the books now, and it comes with plenty of curiosity attached.
That curiosity has been around since St. Thomas moved to Division I in 2021. Former Gophers coach Ben Johnson shut down the idea of a crosstown series, even with only four miles between the schools.
“I don’t think we are ever going to play St. Thomas,” Johnson said in 2022.
“It’s no disrespect. It’s just - we’ll leave it at that.”
Johnson is now an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, and Medved has taken a more open stance - just not an all-the-time one.
“I’m not going to play St. Thomas every year,” Medved told the Pioneer Press in spring 2025.
His reasoning is straightforward. Minnesota is trying to build the best possible NCAA Tournament case, and low-major wins do little for that effort. Medved said last week that the risk outweighs the reward.
“There is really no upside for Minnesota, but a ton of downside,” he said last week. “You lose the game, (it’s) oh my gosh. But if you win the game, it really doesn’t do much for you.”
He also noted that the same logic helped drive Johnson’s thinking. Still, Medved likes the idea of this one.
“Look around the country, you don’t see, well, just because whatever this team is down the road from them, they automatically play them every year in a series,” Medved said. “But I’m glad we are doing the game.
I think it’s going to be great. Let’s just enjoy that one.
“
Athletics Director Mark Coyle said the school generally lets coaches shape their own schedules, while acknowledging the obvious draw of this one.
“I don’t know in terms of the frequency (in playing St. Thomas) … but that’s something we’ll have conversations with our coaches,” Coyle told the Pioneer Press. “But obviously it’s going to be a high-interest game.”
That interest should show up in the building. Early this week, Minnesota expected more than 10,000 fans at The Barn on Friday, a figure that would top the Gophers’ average attendance for Big Ten games in each of the last three seasons. The U announced 7,222 for Monday’s win over North Dakota.
“I’m doing it right now because I thinker’s great for basketball in the Twin Cities,” Medved said. “That is why I’m doing it. I think there will be a lot of interest in the game.”
There’s also a financial angle. Minnesota will pay St.
Thomas $75,000 for the game, according to the contract obtained by the Pioneer Press. That is the lowest payout among the seven low-major opponents on the Gophers’ nonconference schedule this season.
The U will pay a total of $715,000 to those seven teams, with Alcorn State getting the most at $130,000. North Dakota is receiving $95,000 for its trip to Minneapolis.
The game also carries a personal link through Coyle and St. Thomas coach Johnny Tauer. Their sons played together at Cretin-Derham Hall High School.
“I’ve spent a lot time with John and know him really well,” Coyle said. “I know he’s a great coach and know St. Thomas will be a big opponent for us.”
Minnesota’s win over North Dakota also nudged the program to 98-7 all-time against the eight current members of the Summit League. North Dakota was picked sixth in that league’s preseason poll, while St. Thomas was chosen second.
The Tommies opened their season with an 87-78 win over Presbyterian in Clinton, S.C., in front of an announced crowd of 563.
And while this is the first Division I meeting between Minnesota and St. Thomas, the schools have played before.
From 1907-34, the Gophers met the Tommies seven times, with Minnesota going 6-1. St.
Thomas’ lone win in that stretch came in 1933, a 25-24 result.
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