Battle of the Saints is a deeply rooted rivalry between St. Edward’s University and St. Mary’s University that has been displayed on the court since 1937. For men’s basketball, it is an opportunity to bring the community together, both before and after the buzzer sounds.

Despite competing over almost nine decades, Sports Information Director Logan Lawrence came up with the name “Battle of the Saints” in the summer of 2010, according to Hilltop Views’ previous reporting.

The rivalry has created a brotherhood between the schools — allowing both teams to push themselves competitively while remaining classy. Although both teams respect each other as competitors, both want to be the one to come out on top when the whistle blows.  

St. Edward’s currently holds a 67-107 all time record against St Mary’s, but in recent years, the Hilltoppers and Rattlers have put up almost an equal record. This is one goal Andre Cook, men’s basketball head coach, has for this rivalry and to show the Hilltoppers’ strength as a team.

“It’s become more of a rivalry, ” Cook said. “They’re our friends, we like those people, but we want to beat them. They (St. Mary’s) have looked at St. Ed’s as their ‘little brother’ for a long, long time. My goal is to flip the script.” 

This rivalry is always marked on the calendar — with a home game for each team — as it provides great games and a thrilling atmosphere. With different activities like a residence hall night, the basketball team is always trying to build up the energy for these matchups.

“I think a great way to build tradition back would, honestly, be building around basketball,” said Conor McManus, a senior on the men’s basketball team. “I think, find fun things to do at halftime, or if we can find prizes and raffles, that’d be a great way to kind of build something fun for everyone to do.”

Tradition on campus comes alive on game nights, when students pack the stands to support the basketball team — especially when St. Edward’s faces its biggest adversary. The energy in the gym reflects more than just the game, as students come together around a shared experience. Over time, consistently showing up becomes part of campus culture, helping build connections and a stronger sense of community among the student body.

“(Cook) wants us to get out and promote it,” said Gavino Ramos, men’s basketball graduate assistant and former player. “We have to be ready to match that hype that we’re building around the game. It obviously means a little bit more when you’re playing at home against your rival in front of your highest attended game.”

The Battle of the Saints rivalry offers a chance to bring that sense of community back into focus, as students gather to support their peers on the court. Known for its strong traditions, St. Edward’s has seen that feeling shift in recent years, shaped in part by the effects of COVID-19. Still, moments like rivalry games show how quickly connection can return when students choose to show up for one another.

For athletes, that support is part of something bigger than the game. Their investment in the rivalry reflects a broader effort to rebuild tradition and strengthen the campus community. On the hilltop, the experience extends beyond academics — shaped in parallel by shared moments, relationships and a unifying sense of belonging.

“If we can all support each other and show up to each other’s games, that’d make the atmosphere so much more fun and more rewarding,” McManus said. 

All of this starts with the community and strong sense of tradition the university can provide. It’s really up to us to maintain these traditions and build this strong sense of community. As this community will bring joy and help shape us as students into the strong people we envisioned ourselves being when picking St. Edward’s.

“Our guys have to do their part too. They have to hang out and talk to other students and talk to them about the game and find out what they’re doing and we need to show up,” Cook said. “I’d love for the games to be packed. The guys work hard and any of the sports teams work hard, and you want them to play in front of people and people would be excited about it.”