Although MIAC presidents allowed football programs to schedule up to four games or scrimmages this spring semester, a final Tommie-Johnnie game before St. Thomas moves to Division I will not take place this spring, as St. John’s decided to concentrate its efforts on preparing athletes to compete next fall.

A week before this decision, on March 25, St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan told the Undergraduate School Government during the general council meeting that schools may choose to focus on the fall season instead of investing in the spring semester.

“It takes a long time to get our student athletes in a condition that is safe for them to play,” Sullivan said. “Some schools are deciding that they would rather … focus their conditioning on getting ready for competition in the fall,” Sullivan said.

St. John’s Athletic Director Bob Alpers said in an article on the St. John’s athletics website that St. Thomas’ move out of MIAC is sad because of the “great rivalry” both schools cultivated throughout the years.

“We are all disappointed that COVID means there won’t be one final football game with the Tommies,” Alpers said. “We’ve enjoyed the great competition and relationships our schools, our players, fans, alums and coaches have had in all sports.”

The last Tommie-Johnnie game before St. Thomas joins the Pioneer Football League had been scheduled for Nov. 7, 2020, but COVID-19 got in the way.

The record-breaking attendance of Tommie-Johnnie games reflects the importance of the rivalry to the St. Thomas community. A crowd of 37,355 watched the 2017 game at Target Field, the highest ever at a non-FCS football game.

The rivalry between St. Thomas and St. John’s dates back to 1901, when Ignatius O’Shaughnessy began attending the College of St. Thomas after being dismissed from St. John’s University due to an alcohol violation.

O’Shaughnessy proceeded to become a key player for the St. Thomas football team and later became a successful entrepreneur in the oil business. After school he founded a charitable foundation, whose chief benefactor was St. Thomas.

St. Thomas’ 13-year football coach Glenn Caruso acknowledged the importance of the Tommie-Johnnie game to fans and the team.

“In the time that we’ve been fortunate enough to be in this league and coach against that team, it always seems like there’s been great games,” Caruso said. “It’s something that many people are able to rally around, not just the players and students, but also many years of alumni as well.

“We enjoy and respect that game greatly, and it’s certainly unfortunate that they are not on schedule,” Caruso said.

Though St. Thomas will not play a last Tommie-Johnnie game as a MIAC football program, Caruso said the opportunity to play against outside teams this spring semester “is an absolute blessing.”

St. Thomas hosted one scrimmage against Division II Concordia University, St. Paul on March 27 and planned to host Augsburg University on April 17, but it was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

“Regardless of who we play, (our team’s players) understand that they control only the things that they can control, and we have to respect the choices that other schools make,” Caruso said. “Our young men will make the most of the opportunities given to them … that’s simply what we can do.”

Luana Karl can be reached at karl2414@stthomas.edu.