Mizzou hoops announces three-game series against Saint Louis

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

For the first time since 2001, Mizzou and Saint Louis will meet on the hardwood.

On Monday, MU Athletics announced the start of a three-game series against the Billikens, which will begin on Friday, Nov. 6 in downtown St. Louis, as the teams will play all three of their games at the Enterprise Center.

Although the Mizzou and Saint Louis haven't met in 25 years, there's a lot of history between the in-state rivals. The series dates back to 1931, as the programs have met a total of 40 times, but have only met three times in the last 45 years. The Tigers hold the all-time advantage 21-19.

“Rivalries are what make college basketball so special and I couldn’t be more excited for the basketball fans in the state of Missouri, alumni and current students of both institutions to face off with Saint Louis,” head coach Dennis Gates said in a press release. “Coach Schertz and I recognized that it has been too many years since the last game and we made it a priority from our very first conversation to get this matchup across the finish line. We look forward to Enterprise Center hosting one of college basketball’s most anticipated games during the opening week.”

The reignited rivalry will bring another top-tier opponent to Coach Gates' schedule for the 2026-27 campaign, as the Tigers look to earn back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids for the first time since the program made five-straight from 2009 to 2013.

The Tigers will meet the Billikens with an exciting roster in tow, as well. MU is bringing a Top-10 ranked freshman class and the nation's No. 14 transfer class to Columbia, in addition to returning six players from last season.

Meanwhile, the Billikens will return a big chunk of their roster from a tremendous 2025-26 season, including three all-conference performers. Saint Louis posted a program-best 29 wins, shared the Atlantic 10 regular-season hampionship and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, just last season.

“Today’s announcement is not just a win for both basketball programs, but for basketball fans across the city of St. Louis and the state of Missouri as well,” Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz said in a press release. “We know the incredible history of this matchup, and I am glad that Coach Gates agrees that this is the perfect time in both programs’ trajectories to rekindle the series.”

With Monday's announcement, there are now six official games on Mizzou's schedule for the 2026-27 season. You can find a full list of those matchups below.

• Saint Louis (at the Enterprise Center)
• Marquette (at the United Center)
• Kansas (at the T-Mobile Center)
• Nebraska (at the T-Mobile Center)
• Howard (at home)
• Pittsburgh (at home)