COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Collegeville was the place to be for NCAA Division III football in 2018, as Saint John's University attracted a division-best 47,297 fans to Clemens Stadium last fall.
That cumulative total was greater than 98 Football Championship Subdivision teams and all but one of the 167 Division II programs (Grand Valley State's total of 67,865).
SJU finished second nationally in Division III with an average of 5,912 spectators over eight games, including two in the NCAA playoffs. The Johnnies have now finished in Division III's top two in per-game attendance each of the last 18 seasons.
Hampden-Sydney (Va.) hosted four home contests last fall and led Division III with an average of 7,716 fans per game. Two other MIAC schools cracked the top 10, as Bethel finished fourth (4,436 per game) and Concordia claimed ninth (4,007 per game).
For the eighth straight season, and 13th time in the last 14 years, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) attracted more fans to its football games than any other conference in NCAA Division III. A total of 146,077 fans attended the 50 football games hosted by the MIAC's nine football teams, an average of 2,922 spectators per game.
SJU (12-1, 8-0 MIAC) won its MIAC-record 33rd conference title and made its 29th postseason appearance (25th in Division III), advancing to the national quarterfinals, last fall. The team ended the season ranked No. 3 nationally.
The Johnnies report to Collegeville on Wednesday, Aug. 14, with the first practice scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15. SJU opens the 2019 season with a 1 p.m. kickoff Sept. 7 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis.
SJU's regular-season home schedule features five games in 2019:
-Sept. 21 vs. Gustavus Adolphus (Family Weekend)
-Oct. 5 vs. Augsburg (Homecoming)
-Oct. 12 vs. Bethel (Tackle Cancer)
-Nov. 2 vs. Concordia
-Nov. 16 vs. Rose-Hulman, Ind.
Other National Leaders
FBS: Michigan (110,737 per game)
FCS: Jackson State (24,770 per game)
Division II: Morehouse (12,037 per game)
2018 NCAA Division III Football Attendance Leaders
| No. |
School |
Gms. |
Total |
Avg. |
| 1. |
Hampden-Sydney (Va.) |
4 |
30,864 |
7,716 |
| 2. |
Saint John's |
8 |
47,297 |
5,912 |
| 3. |
Wisconsin-Whitewater |
7 |
36,384 |
5,198 |
| 4. |
Bethel |
6 |
26,614 |
4,436 |
| 5. |
Trine (Ind.) |
6 |
25,406 |
4,234 |
| 6. |
Emory & Henry (Va.) |
4 |
16,792 |
4,198 |
| 7. |
Wabash (Ind.) |
5 |
20,473 |
4,095 |
| 8. |
Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) |
8 |
32,202 |
4,025 |
| 9. |
Concordia-Moorhead |
5 |
20,037 |
4,007 |
| 10. |
Brockport State (N.Y.) |
7 |
26,875 |
3,839 |
2018 SJU vs. FCS/Division II Schools in Upper Midwest
| No. |
School |
NCAA |
Gms. |
Total |
Avg. |
| 1. |
North Dakota State |
FCS |
10 |
181,055 |
18,106 |
| 2. |
South Dakota State |
FCS |
7 |
71,243 |
10,178 |
| 3. |
South Dakota |
FCS |
5 |
47,098 |
9,420 |
| 4. |
North Dakota |
FCS |
5 |
46,682 |
9,336 |
| 5. |
Northern Iowa |
FCS |
6 |
56,020 |
9,332 |
| 6. |
Saint John's |
III |
8 |
47,297 |
5,912 |
| 7. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
II |
5 |
19,310 |
3,862 |
| 8. |
Northern State (S.D.) |
II |
5 |
17,486 |
3,497 |
| 9. |
Mary (N.D.) |
II |
5 |
15,899 |
3,180 |
| 10. |
Minnesota-Duluth |
II |
7 |
22,011 |
3,144 |
2018 MIAC Football Attendance Leaders
| No. |
School |
Gms. |
Total |
Avg. |
| 1. |
Saint John's |
8 |
47,297 |
5,912 |
| 2. |
Bethel |
6 |
26,614 |
4,436 |
| 3. |
Concordia-Moorhead |
5 |
20,037 |
4,007 |
| 4. |
St. Thomas |
6 |
13,984 |
2,331 |
| 5. |
Gustavus Adolphus |
5 |
10,615 |
2,123 |
| 6. |
St. Olaf |
5 |
9,145 |
1,829 |
| 7. |
Hamline |
5 |
7,230 |
1,446 |
| 8. |
Carleton |
5 |
5,633 |
1,127 |
| 9. |
Augsburg |
5 |
3,700 |
740 |
