I'm less inclined to include Iowa State and Marquette in the schedule. They both recruit the Twin Cities very hard. We don't need one of them playing in Minnesota every year getting publicity and telling kids they will get to have a couple of "home" games if they come to ISU or Marquette. The Gophers already play in Iowa and/or Wisconsin each year, so no real benefit for Minnesota in playing at Iowa State or Marquette, save for maybe 100 people who might drive it to watch it. It isn't like football where a few thousand fans will travel.
As for St. Thomas, if they want to play the Gophers, they can play at Williams Arena every year. No need to give them a home game. They can bus the 4 miles to Williams Arena and play. If they don't wanna do that, so be it. We offered.
That said, I definitely think the schedule should upgrade. No question about that.
I'd like to see this.....occasionally try to get a blue blood in here....use friendships and connections to every now and then get a Kansas or a Duke or a bigger name school to come here and we can go there.
In other years, just simply schedule some good P5 teams. It really isn't that hard. We've done it before in recent years with Arkansas, Mississippi State, Missouri, Butler, etc. All teams do it. We just need to do it more and definitely at least one home game against a P5 every year. Minimum.
Strategically, try go to places where you have recruiting connections in that area and/or where current players on the team are from.
