Xavier in the house
Despite the old feud between the University of Dayton and Xavier, the No. 11 ranked Xavier Musketeers men’s basketball team may have the home-court advantage against Texas in the home arena of their once largest rival.
The Dayton-Xavier rivalry dates back to at least 1907, when the football teams often traded victories. The Dayton-Xavier basketball rivalry began in 1920. Although it has been interrupted with Xavier leaving the A-10 conference during the 2013-14 season, the sporadic matchups still bring out the old emotions.
In 1981, the two Catholic institutions began playing for the Blackburn-McCafferty trophy during their regular season matchups. Named after the coaches of each team who brought their respective programs to prominence, the trophy is held at the victor school until the next meeting.
Dayton leads the rivalry now, with 84 wins against Xavier’s 74 in the regular season. However, their last meeting in October 2025 resulted in Xavier winning 98 to 74 at UD Arena. That preseason matchup marked the opening of Xavier’s season, and their upcoming game marks the beginning of its Division I tournament postseason. The UD Arena has hosted Xavier University 43 times in the regular season since it opened its doors for the 1969-70 season.
At their press conference Tuesday afternoon, Xavier forward Zach Freemantle was asked about the preseason familiarity with UD Arena and if that will prove to be an advantage. “It was a pretty good crowd when we did play Dayton back in the preseason,” Fremantle said. “Having that experience with the crowd and everything, I think it will be good for us.”
Xavier’s proximity to UD is why the rivalry got started, but it’s also why the Musketeers may have a shot at No. 11 ranked Texas — at least in terms of getting the crowd on their side. Xavier should be able to put up numbers if they can have another performance like the last time they played in the Gem City.
“Our fan base is second to none,” Xavier head coach Sean Miller said in his press conference Tuesday afternoon. “They love Xavier basketball. My hope is that we have an arena that supports us.”
With less than an hour drive from Xavier to UD Arena, there’s a very good chance the seats on March 19 will be packed with a sea of navy blue and silver come 9:10 p.m.
Boosted by the energy of their avid fan base, Xavier has a decent shot at making it into the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Photos by Maggie Endres ’36. Game photo courtesy Dayton athletics/by Elsestar Images.