For the third time in four years, a Tommie-Johnnie football clash will be contested in one of the Twin Cities' showcase professional stadiums.
St. John's University announced on Wednesday that it will move its Saturday Nov. 7, 2020 home game against St. Thomas, originally set for its campus in Collegeville, to U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis -- the home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. It will also be the first collegiate football game played at U.S. Bank Stadium since that venue opened in 2016.
The 2020 game, set for a 1 p.m. kickoff, will be the schools' 90th football meeting and will come 119 years after the first competition between these universities. It also will be the final Tommie-Johnnie football meeting as opponents in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
"St John's is thrilled to be able to partner with U.S. Bank Stadium, the finest venue in the NFL, to help us accommodate this historic rivalry game," SJU athletic director Bob Alpers said. "Since the announcement that St. Thomas has been invited to join the Summit League, ticket demand for November's game has already been off the charts."
The teams moved their annual MIAC game in September 2017 at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins, and drew a Division III-record crowd of 37,355. They played the 2019 game last October at Allianz Field in St. Paul, the soccer home of the Minnesota United, and drew a capacity crowd of 19,508 in that stadium's inaugural season. The 1996 and 1997 games were played in the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.
"U.S. Bank Stadium will offer a fantastic atmosphere for two outstanding football programs to celebrate one of the best rivalries in all of college football," said Phil Esten, St. Thomas Vice-President and Director of Athletics. "Not only will it be a special opportunity for our student-athletes to compete on such a grand stage, but it will also create a unique experience for the alumni and fans of both universities, as well as college football fans throughout the region. We are grateful to St. John's and U.S. Bank Stadium for providing such an opportunity."
Tickets
Tickets sales for the game have been postponed and will be announced at a later date.
More details for student tickets will follow, as well.
Tickets will be available online at ticketmaster.com or in person at the U.S. Bank Stadium Ticket Office, located at the corner of 4th Street South and Chicago Avenue.
