There has never been a shortage of big-time matchups at the top of college basketball. Blue bloods and power conference contenders regularly stack their schedules with neutral-site showcases and heavyweight clashes because they know it sharpens them for March.
What the sport continues to lack, though, is meaningful games between elite mid-major programs. That is where Saint Louis is becoming one of the most refreshing programs in the country.
After reaching the Round of 32 in Josh Schertz’s first season, the Billikens are leaning into the challenge instead of protecting their resume. Saint Louis already proved it could compete nationally after blowing past Georgia in the NCAA Tournament before eventually running into national champion Michigan. Now the Billikens are building a non-conference schedule that feels designed for basketball fans instead of bracket math.
The newly reported home-and-home series with High Point Panthers is exactly the type of matchup college basketball needs more often. Both teams are expected to contend for conference titles and NCAA Tournament bids next season, yet instead of avoiding risk, they are embracing it.
That matters.
Too often, elite mid-majors are boxed out of quality scheduling opportunities because high-major programs see little upside in playing them. Lose the game and the criticism is loud. Win the game and the reward is usually minimal from a perception standpoint.
As a result, many of the best non-power conference teams are forced to elevate themselves by scheduling each other. Saint Louis understands that reality and appears fully committed to making those games feel important. The Billikens are also slated to face Saint Mary's Gaels, another consistently elite mid-major program that has become a national brand through winning and continuity.
Josh Schertz is building more than just a winning team
Schertz did not arrive at Saint Louis simply trying to stabilize the program. The early signs suggest he wants the Billikens to become nationally relevant every single season.
That starts with confidence.
Programs that believe they belong on the NCAA Tournament stage schedule like it. Saint Louis is doing exactly that after a breakthrough first year that immediately changed expectations around the program.
The Billikens are no longer approaching scheduling like a team hoping to sneak into the field. They are scheduling like a team preparing to win games once it gets there.
That mentality could become increasingly important in the modern era of college basketball. With expanded national attention, transfer portal movement, NIL investment, and constant debates surrounding tournament résumés, fans are desperate for games that feel authentic and competitive before conference play begins.
Saint Louis appears ready to deliver them.
Mid-major basketball deserves this spotlight
One of the best developments in recent years has been the growing national respect for top mid-major programs. Teams like Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, and others have shown that elite basketball exists well beyond the power conferences.
Saint Louis now has a chance to join that conversation more consistently.
The atmosphere around games against High Point and Saint Mary’s should feel significant because they are significant. These are not buy games or résumé fillers. They are matchups between programs expecting to play in March.
That creates better television inventory, better environments, and better preparation for postseason basketball. More importantly, it creates games fans genuinely want to watch in November.
College basketball does not need fewer ambitious schedules. It needs more programs willing to think the way Saint Louis is thinking right now.
And if the Billikens continue winning while embracing this approach, they may not stay labeled as a mid-major much longer.
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