Double-dipping with Gophers & Tommies

SelectionSunday

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Took the plunge and added Saint Thomas to season-ticket arsenal. Only a couple opportunities to catch two games in one day (on a weekend), but will have to hope one plays in the afternoon, the other in the evening.

Jan. 22: Rutgers @ Gophers, South Dakota @ Tommies

Feb. 12: Penn State @ Gophers, North Dakota State @ Saint Thomas

One thing that is nice about a “non-TV” conference is that conference games are pretty consistently played on the same days every week. In the Summit League it’s pretty much Thursdays and Saturdays.
 

the consistency in days is really nice. sounds like a fun winter ahead!
 


The price is right for the UST tickets
For sure. Was able to get a chairback seat 7 rows up between half court & a FT line for $325. Am really curious how big the crowds will be for conference games and the 1 D1 non-conference home game they were able to get (Montana State). Schoenecker Arena only holds 1,800.
 





I hope UST can book a few big name teams in the next few years to play at the Xcel Energy Center.

I'd like to think the Catholic connection could get Creighton, Marquette, DePaul, and Notre Dame to show up in St. Paul if UST gives them the right terms.

Maybe Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan St. and others with recruiting goals in the area might show up here to squash St. Thomas at Xcel or Target Center.
 
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I hope UST can book a few big name teams in the next few years to play at the Xcel Energy Center.

I'd like to think the Catholic connection could get Creighton, Marquette, DePaul, and Notre Dame to show up in St. Paul if UST gives them the right terms.

Maybe Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan St. and others with recruiting goals in the area might show up here to squash St. Thomas at Xcel or Target Center.

Summit teams might get an occasional home/home with an MVC team, but they better fix their capacity situation. With 5 year transition, getting descent home games going to be really tough for awhile, even in St Paul . . . Big East, ah No. Getting competitive quickly will help. Getting to the top in the Summit is no layup. Denver’s a mess, and Western IL isn’t good, but there are lots of solid teams. Sweet 16 ORU finished 4th in the league last year.
 



I hope UST can book a few big name teams in the next few years to play at the Xcel Energy Center.

I'd like to think the Catholic connection could get Creighton, Marquette, DePaul, and Notre Dame to show up in St. Paul if UST gives them the right terms.

Maybe Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan St. and others with recruiting goals in the area might show up here to squash St. Thomas at Xcel or Target Center.
Would be interesting if they can get Big East Catholics to come to St Paul for a major, neutral site game. Maybe not the Xcel, but I'm not sure which arena beyond that would be most appropriate. Could maybe do it in the Wild practice facility downtown? I'm failing to think of if there is a smaller, secondary, but nice arena in St Paul proper?

The Fairgrounds Coliseum, I don't think would be nice enough/appropriate?


I suppose you could try to do it like a 4+ team tournament of Catholics at Xcel, where UST happens to get one of the slots as host. Sort've like Maui?
 

Summit teams might get an occasional home/home with an MVC team, but they better fix their capacity situation. With 5 year transition, getting descent home games going to be really tough for awhile, even in St Paul . . . Big East, ah No. Getting competitive quickly will help. Getting to the top in the Summit is no layup. Denver’s a mess, and Western IL isn’t good, but there are lots of solid teams. Sweet 16 ORU finished 4th in the league last year.

None of what I suggested as far as convincing decent non- Summit teams to come to St Paul to play a game at Xcel would be easy but UST probably will try very hard to get a big game or two each year, even if they have to play 2-3 return "squash" games on the road at reduced prices for the trade off. The TC recruiting angle for the visitors might be part of it
 

None of what I suggested as far as convincing decent non- Summit teams to come to St Paul to play a game at Xcel would be easy but UST probably will try very hard to get a big game or two each year, even if they have to play 2-3 return "squash" games on the road at reduced prices for the trade off. The TC recruiting angle for the visitors might be part of it

Big East teams won’t play at the home of a 250+ RPI mid major, let alone one that is in the middle of a 5 year transition. A good home game for a Summit league team is a home/home with a MVC team. Being in a good recruiting area will help, but it may take awhile.
 

Big East teams won’t play at the home of a 250+ RPI mid major, let alone one that is in the middle of a 5 year transition. A good home game for a Summit league team is a home/home with a MVC team. Being in a good recruiting area will help, but it may take awhile.

I am not so sure UST could not get Iowa State, DePaul or Marquette to play a game at Xcel Energy Center for the right consideration, in the next 2-3 years. It is a sure win for the visitors, with prime recruiting/ hospitality opportunities in a what is now a talent rich area.

Maybe even teams like Iowa, Wisconsin or Nebraska that want to woo the local kids might view a game here as a positive, even just to poke the Gophers. They might negotiate a share of the gate (and multiple cheaper return games) too, with local alums and friends looking to hang out at a suite or prime seats. St. Thomas could actually sell some seats to their own alums for one of these games to, which is a win win for all.

The students will pack the very small on campus facility to play the Summit teams, but the alums mostly would respond to the Xcel Energy game a time or two a year, sort of like the Target Field/ Allianz Field SJU football games. I went to that St. John's game back in 2016, and it was pretty great, I saw people I had not seen in years and felt like I was back at a college beer party in a nicer than usual basement. UST can sell a big game or two if they can convince some teams to come in and play, regardless of what it takes.
 
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I hope UST can book a few big name teams in the next few years to play at the Xcel Energy Center.

I'd like to think the Catholic connection could get Creighton, Marquette, DePaul, and Notre Dame to show up in St. Paul if UST gives them the right terms.

Maybe Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan St. and others with recruiting goals in the area might show up here to squash St. Thomas at Xcel or Target Center.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, St. Thomas and St. John's would usually play one of the big Catholic-affiliated universities once a season. Road games for the Minnesota teams of course. That might change now and your suggestion of the Xcel or Target Center is a good one.
 

No power 5 team will come to MN to play them,not even the gophers ,for about 10 years.
 


I look forward to UST/Summit League Hosting the NCAA Tourney 1st/2nd Rounds or Regionals somewhere in the Twin Cities so the Gophers can get a quasi home court advantage.

Might be a few years.
Me too. I think all of us gopher fans are excited to watch a local team do better than the u in many areas! Hooray for Papists!
 

Took the plunge and added Saint Thomas to season-ticket arsenal. Only a couple opportunities to catch two games in one day (on a weekend), but will have to hope one plays in the afternoon, the other in the evening.

Jan. 22: Rutgers @ Gophers, South Dakota @ Tommies

Feb. 12: Penn State @ Gophers, North Dakota State @ Saint Thomas

One thing that is nice about a “non-TV” conference is that conference games are pretty consistently played on the same days every week. In the Summit League it’s pretty much Thursdays and Saturdays.
My grandsons are doing it. They love college basketball.
 

How long will it take the gopher fans to flip on their current love for UST? 24 months, give or take a couple? It’s not if, it’s when.
 



Would be interesting if they can get Big East Catholics to come to St Paul for a major, neutral site game. Maybe not the Xcel, but I'm not sure which arena beyond that would be most appropriate. Could maybe do it in the Wild practice facility downtown? I'm failing to think of if there is a smaller, secondary, but nice arena in St Paul proper?

The Fairgrounds Coliseum, I don't think would be nice enough/appropriate?


I suppose you could try to do it like a 4+ team tournament of Catholics at Xcel, where UST happens to get one of the slots as host. Sort've like Mau

Would be interesting if they can get Big East Catholics to come to St Paul for a major, neutral site game. Maybe not the Xcel, but I'm not sure which arena beyond that would be most appropriate. Could maybe do it in the Wild practice facility downtown? I'm failing to think of if there is a smaller, secondary, but nice arena in St Paul proper?

The Fairgrounds Coliseum, I don't think would be nice enough/appropriate?


I suppose you could try to do it like a 4+ team tournament of Catholics at Xcel, where UST happens to get one of the slots as host. Sort've like Maui?
I believe they played the State Tourny for boys hoops there back in the early 2000s. It was a great venue as there are really no bad seats. This is the option for a bigger arena (really in perpetuity as they will likely build a new on-campus arena with around 10-13K seats) - but for super big games (like a Villanova @ UST - i'd assume they want to maximize capacity at a ~19K seat stadium)
 

Sure. But both exterior, and interior, .... it looks not much better than a cow/rodeo barn. Which it is.
 

I believe they played the State Tourny for boys hoops there back in the early 2000s. It was a great venue as there are really no bad seats. This is the option for a bigger arena (really in perpetuity as they will likely build a new on-campus arena with around 10-13K seats) - but for super big games (like a Villanova @ UST - i'd assume they want to maximize capacity at a ~19K seat stadium)
The coliseum would be a terrible venue for basketball unless they put the gym right in a corner and I don't remember it ever being used for the state tourney. Roy Wilkins and the Xcel Center were used in the early 2000s.
 




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