It’s easy to look at a matchup between a decades-old power conference giant and a school that was playing Division III football five years ago and assume it's a blowout. But honestly, the St Thomas MN vs Arizona State dynamic is way weirder and more interesting than the box scores suggest. We’re talking about a school in St. Paul that got "kicked out" of its own conference for being too good, and now they’re throwing hands with Big 12 programs in the desert.
If you’re just checking the stats, you’ll see the Sun Devils usually come out on top. In November 2024, the Tommies headed to Tempe for a basketball showdown and left with an 81-66 loss. But if you actually watched that game, you saw a St. Thomas team that refused to blink. They aren't just "happy to be here." They’re trying to ruin someone’s season.
The Gap is Closing (Kinda)
Arizona State has the resources. They have the massive NIL collectives and the storied history of the Pac-12 (now Big 12). St. Thomas has... well, they have a lot of heart and a brand-new arena.
The Tommies officially became full-blown Division I members in June 2025. This wasn't just a paperwork change. It means they are finally eligible for the Big Dance and national championships. For a team like ASU, playing St. Thomas is a high-risk, low-reward situation. If the Sun Devils win, they were supposed to. If they struggle—like they did in several hockey matchups over the last few years—it’s a "bad look" for a program trying to climb the Big 12 ladder.
Hockey is the Real Equalizer
While basketball gets the headlines, the ice is where the St Thomas MN vs Arizona State rivalry actually feels like a rivalry.
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- The 2022-23 Series: ASU took a 4-0 win, but the second night was a 4-3 overtime heartbreaker.
- The Culture: You’ve got the desert hockey vibes of Mullett Arena versus the gritty, old-school Minnesota hockey culture.
- The Recruiting Trail: These two programs are now fighting for the same 4-star recruits who want to choose between year-round sunshine and a "hockey-first" state.
Why the Tommies are the Ultimate Trap Team
Coach Johnny Tauer has built a basketball culture at St. Thomas that is basically a nightmare for high-major coaches. They play a style that values efficiency and limits possessions. When Arizona State scheduled them, they probably expected a "buy game"—a win you pay for to pad the record.
Instead, ASU found themselves in a dogfight. The Tommies have this annoying habit of staying within 10 points until the four-minute mark. For ASU fans, that’s four quarters of high blood pressure. Honestly, the Tommies are basically the "giant killers" of the Midwest right now. They’ve already picked up wins over solid mid-majors and are looking for that one "P4" scalp to put on the wall.
The Big 12 Transition Factor
Arizona State is currently navigating the massive shift to the Big 12. Their schedule is a gauntlet of Kansas, Houston, and Arizona. In that context, a game against St. Thomas (MN) can feel like a breather, which is exactly when the Tommies strike.
The Sun Devils' 2025-26 season has been a rollercoaster. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance, like Maurice Odum’s 23-point performance against Arizona, but they’ve also had stretches where the offense goes cold. If you catch ASU on a cold night, St. Thomas has the shooting depth to make things very uncomfortable.
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What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
People think St. Thomas is a "small school." They aren't. They have over 10,000 students and a massive alumni base in the Twin Cities that is hungry for DI success.
"We aren't just building a team; we're building a brand that can compete with anyone," is the vibe coming out of St. Paul.
When they play ASU, it’s a clash of identities. It’s the established "Power Conference" brand versus the "New Money" disruptor. St. Thomas is the first school in the modern era to jump directly from DIII to DI, skipping the DII middleman entirely. That kind of institutional confidence is rare, and it shows up in how they play on the court and the ice.
Recent Results and Stats
- Men’s Basketball (Nov 2024): ASU 81, St. Thomas 66.
- Men’s Hockey (Historical): ASU leads the series 4-0, but two games were decided by two goals or less.
- Softball (Feb 2024): ASU took a 9-4 victory, but the Tommies put up a fight in the middle innings.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re following this matchup or looking at future games between these two, keep a few things in mind.
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First, look at the spread. St. Thomas is a "spread-covering machine" because they don't quit. Even in games they lose, they tend to keep it closer than the talent gap suggests.
Second, watch the venue. ASU’s home-court advantage in Tempe is real, especially with the 94-degree heat (even in "winter") that messes with Minnesota teams. But when these teams meet on neutral ground or in the cold of St. Paul, the advantage shifts toward the Tommies.
Finally, keep an eye on the transfer portal. Both schools are active here. ASU is pulling in high-level talent from the Power 4, while St. Thomas is snagging "undervalued" players from the Big Ten and Big 12 who want more playing time.
The next time you see St Thomas MN vs Arizona State on the schedule, don't scroll past it. It’s a preview of the new landscape of college sports—where the old guards are constantly being chased by the ambitious newcomers.
To stay ahead of the curve, track the Tommies’ performance in the Summit League; if they are dominating there, they are a live threat to any Big 12 team on their non-conference schedule. Monitor Arizona State’s injury report before these games, as their depth is often tested during the grueling Big 12 conference slate, making them more vulnerable to a disciplined St. Thomas squad.