2020 SJU Football Schedule
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Head coach
Gary Fasching '81 announced the 2020 Saint John's University football schedule on Thursday, Feb. 20.
SJU will host five regular-season games in Collegeville and the Johnnie-Tommie game Nov. 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Johnnies begin the 2020 campaign with back-to-back non-conference games at home, beginning with a 1 p.m. kickoff Sept. 5 against Aurora (Ill.). The season opener will be a rematch of this fall's NCAA Division III first-round shootout - a 51-47 SJU win - played in Collegeville. The Spartans posted a 7-0 record (9-2 overall) to win the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) and make their fifth NCAA postseason appearance under first-year head coach Don Beebe in 2019.
SJU's second non-conference opponent is another familiar one, as the Johnnies play host to Whitworth (Wash.) Sept. 12. The Johnnies defeated the Pirates 45-24 in the second round of the 2018 NCAA playoffs in Clemens Stadium. Whitworth finished second with a 5-2 record (6-3 overall) in the Northwest Conference (NWC) this past fall after going 10-1 in 2018. The 2020 meeting will be SJU's first regular-season game against an NWC opponent since the Johnnies defeated the Pirates 7-3 on Oct. 25, 1975, in Spokane, Wash. The Johnnies are 8-1 all-time against current NWC members.
Saint John's will travel to both teams, Aurora (Sept. 4) and Whitworth (Sept. 11), in 2021.
"I am excited for the opportunity to play two very quality opponents for our non-conference games next fall," Fasching said. "Aurora will present a great challenge in our opener. They are an explosive, well-coached football team, as we saw in the first round of the playoffs last year.
"Whitworth University is also a very talented team. They are perennially at the top of their conference and are always competing for a spot in the NCAA playoffs. It will be an exciting start to the season as we welcome two fine programs to Clemens Stadium."
Conference play begins with a road trip Sept. 19 to Concordia-Moorhead and the Johnnies close the month with Homecoming Sept. 26 against Hamline before their bye week (Oct. 3). SJU resumes competition with an Oct. 10 visit to Gustavus Adolphus before returning home for Family Weekend Oct. 17 against Carleton, the team's lone home game in October.
SJU travels to face Augsburg (Oct. 24) and Bethel (Oct. 31) before ending the regular-season schedule with the Johnnie-Tommie game at U.S. Bank Stadium and the Nov. 14 finale against St. Olaf in Collegeville.
The Johnnies (12-2, 7-1 MIAC) won a share of their MIAC-record 34th conference title and made their sixth consecutive postseason appearance (30th overall, 26th in Division III). SJU advanced to the national semifinals and ended the season ranked as high as No. 3 nationally.
