SMU and Minnesota are set to open a new neutral-site series in North Texas, with the two programs scheduled to meet in the first Dallas Duel on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, at Comerica Center in Frisco.
The matchup pairs an ACC team with a Big Ten opponent in a setting designed to give the Dallas-Fort Worth basketball crowd an early-season game with some real juice. SMU will host Minnesota in the inaugural event, and the schools already have a second meeting on the books, with the Mustangs set to travel to Minneapolis in 2028.
For SMU coach Andy Enfield, the appeal is straightforward.
"Facing a Big Ten opponent like Minnesota provides another high-profile neutral-site game for our players and fans. We are excited for the opportunity," said SMU Head Coach Andy Enfield.
Minnesota coach Niko Medved pointed to both the quality of the matchup and the chance to keep the series going.
"We're really excited to add another Power-4 conference opponent to our schedule this year and face a tough SMU team that made the NCAA Tournament last season," said Minnesota Head Coach Niko Medved. "We're looking forward to playing at the Comerica Center, but also building a great partnership with SMU for a future date in the Minneapolis area during the 2028-29 season. I have no doubt it will be two great events against two competitive teams."
The Dallas Duel is the first game in what will become a two-game series between the schools, and the return trip to Minneapolis is scheduled for 2028. Tip-off time, television details and ticket information have not been released yet.
There’s also a little history behind this one. SMU and Minnesota last crossed paths in the 2014 National Invitation Tournament championship game at Madison Square Garden, where Minnesota pulled out a 65-63 win.
Comerica Center, which sits in the heart of a busy sports and entertainment area in Frisco, gives the matchup a fitting stage. The venue also serves as the practice home for the NHL’s Dallas Stars and hosts the Texas Legends, the Dallas Pulse and a range of concerts, family shows, graduation ceremonies and corporate events. It seats more than 6,000 and recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation that added four new video boards, ribbon boards, an upgraded audio system, new seats and a party deck.
Additional event details, including ticket on-sale dates, premium hospitality options and game-week festivities, will be announced in the coming months.
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Niko Medved Just Set A Tougher Early Test For Minnesota
Minnesota has put together its 2026-27 non-conference basketball slate, and Niko Medved is not easing into his first full season with the Gophers. The 12-game schedule, along with two exhibition dates, brings a mix of familiar regional opponents and tougher road tests, with games against North Dakota, Cincinnati, Southern, Western Illinois, Utah and Oklahoma State among the early checkpoints.
Medved said the schedule is tougher than the one Minnesota played last season, and the shape of it suggests a staff trying to speed up the learning curve before Big Ten play arrives. There is local interest built in, too, with St. Thomas on the list, while the overall balance of high-major and lower-level opponents should give Minnesota a clearer picture of where it stands long before January. [Read more 🡒]