JOHNNIE SPORTS
Milestone
JOHNNIE TOMMIE game to be played at
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for St. Thomas, which is planning to reclassify directly to Division I in 2021.
The latest chapter in the storied 119-year football rivalry between Saint John’s University and the University of St. Thomas will unfold this fall at one of the premier gridiron venues in the country. Officials from U.S. Bank Stadium and representatives from Saint John’s and St. Thomas have announced that the 2020 Johnnie-Tommie football game will be played Nov. 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Anticipated ticket demand for the 90th and final installment in a rivalry that dates back to 1901 is a prominent reason for moving the game – originally scheduled to be played at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville – to U.S. Bank Stadium.
S A T U R D A Y, N O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 2 0 U.S. BANK STADIUM
“Saint John’s is thrilled to be able to partner with U.S. Bank Stadium, the finest venue in the NFL. Since the announcement that St. Thomas has been invited to join the Division I Summit League, ticket demand for November’s game has already been off the charts,” said Saint John’s athletic director Bob Alpers ’82. “U.S. Bank Stadium will be an incredible venue to host this historic game. We want everyone to be able to see this final game in one of the great rivalries in all of college football,” said SJU head football coach Gary Fasching ’81. “We’re tremendously excited for our alumni and fans to have the opportunity to see this milestone game in this exceptional facility,” added Adam Herbst ’99, executive director of university relations at Saint John’s. The 2020 football season will be the last in the Minnesota
34 WINTER/SPRING 2020
The last two Johnnie-Tommie games in the Twin Cities drew huge crowds. Nearly 20,000 fans attended the 2019 game at Allianz Field and more than 37,500 fans attended the 2017 game at Target Field. Demand for next year’s historic game is anticipated to eclipse those levels.
“This is a great opportunity for our alumni and fans,” said Rob Culligan ’82, vice president for institutional advancement at Saint John’s. “What better place to watch and enjoy a game on a frigid November day than in the comfort of an indoor, heated facility – the home of the Minnesota Vikings, the site of a Super Bowl and the Final Four.” Ticket sales to the public will begin March 13. Tickets will be available online at ticketmaster.com or in person at the U.S. Bank Stadium Ticket Office, located at the corner of Fourth Street South and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis.