Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Sports
Mohamed Ibrahim
St. Paul

Allianz Field to host 89th annual ‘Tommie-Johnnie’ rivalry football game

Snow begins to fall within Allianz Field in St. Paul.
Snow begins to fall within Allianz Field in St. Paul Wednesday, April 10, 2019.
Evan Frost | MPR News

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

The University of St. Thomas and St. John’s University football teams will play Saturday in what could be the second-to-last game in the decades-old rivalry.

The annual tradition is set to end next year after St. Thomas was forced to change athletic conferences.

The 89th annual Tommie-Johnnie football game will be played before a sellout crowd at St. Paul’s 19,400-seat Allianz Field, which usually is home to the Minnesota United FC professional soccer team. Minnesota United is set to host the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday in a single-elimination playoff game.

But before that happens, thousands of students and alumni from St. Thomas and St. John’s will attend the annual football game between the schools. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Saturday. The 2017 game was played at Target Field and broke the Division III attendance record with more than 37,000 people in the stands.

The game comes a few months after St. Thomas was booted from the Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after years of dominance in football and other sports. Other schools in the league, of which St. Thomas is one of the seven founding members, felt its size presented an unfair competitive advantage.

Most St. Thomas athletic programs are poised to move up to Division I in 2021 after receiving an invitation from the Summit League earlier this month; that move remains subject to NCAA approval. But because the Summit League does not include football and hockey, the futures of those programs remain unclear.

The matchup will be the first American football game to be played in Allianz Field, which opened earlier this year. Those who weren’t able to get tickets will be able to watch the game on a big screen at a viewing party outside the stadium.

The 90th — and perhaps final — game between the two schools is scheduled to be played Nov. 7, 2020. Going into Saturday’s game, St. John’s holds the edge in the rivalry with a 52-35-1 record.