Tommie-Johnnie game set for US Bank Stadium, last meeting before St. Thomas is expected to leave for D-I
The Tommie-Johnnie game’s date and venue have been set for 2020, and it’s the biggest meeting yet in the 119-year history of this Twin Cities rivalry. It could also be the last.
The 2020 meeting between the University of St. Thomas and St. John’s University football teams is set for Nov. 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium, according to a news release. The venue could break the record for the largest crowd at a Division III game.
St. John’s beats St. Thomas 38-20 at Allianz Field
That record was set at Target Field in 2017, when the Tommie-Johnnie Game attracted 37,355 fans. U.S. Bank Stadium has a seating capacity of 66,655, so the 2020 matchup could easily smash that number.
Last year, the teams met at Allianz Field, where St. John’s won 38-20 in front of a sellout crowd of 19,508 fans. It was the second-biggest crowd at a Division III football game.
St. Thomas athletics ‘optimistic’ about possible move to DI
There’s an added layer of meaning to this year’s game, too, as it could very well be the last time the teams line up across from one another.
The Tommies and the Johnnies have clashed 89 times since their first meeting in 1901, but in 2021, St. Thomas will leave St. John’s and Division III football and is expected to be catapulted into the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, although NCAA rules have not yet been changed to allow the jump to happen. However, St. Thomas has said it’s "optimistic" the NCAA will approve its move to D-I.
Tickets for the Nov. 7 game go on sale 10 a.m. March 13.