Mar 20, 2025 - News

St. Thomas could be next year's March Madness Cinderella

Nick Halter

A photo John Tauer talking to two players — St. Thomas men's basketball coach John Tauer could be in the Big Dance next year. Photo courtesy of the University of St. Thomas

The University of St. Thomas may bust some March Madness brackets a year from now.

Driving the news: The St. Paul university is on a trajectory to earn postseason eligibility a year earlier than the normal five-year process for schools jumping from Division III to Division I.

State of play: The UST men's team finished in second place in the Summit League this year to Omaha.

If they had been eligible for March Madness, the Tommies would have been one win away from being in Omaha's place, which is a No. 15 seed trying to take down Rick Pitino's St. John's squad in the first round tonight.
The women's team finished fourth in the conference.

What we're watching: If either team can win the conference next year they could be in a position to be a Cinderella story in the 2026 tourney.

The bottom line: It would be a breath of fresh air for local college basketball fans who want a hometown team to follow.

The Gophers men haven't made the tournament since 2019 and the women since 2018.

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St. Thomas could be next year's March Madness Cinderella

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