We’ll get more photos at St. Thomas.

Click HERE to view full screen images as a slide show. Look for “slideshow” near the upper right of the screen.

As my mind has been spinning and reflecting on exactly what to write, how to fit all these thoughts into a tiny space on the internet, and then master the blog site to actually get it posted, I remembered that I was going about this all wrong.  I was over thinking what my heart was telling me. 

My heart was telling me that writing for Johnnie Football was very fitting into my life story.  It seems that most of my life I have been included in groups where I was the only girl out of a contingent of boys.  For instance, I was the pioneer girl on my hockey team growing up as a youngster in Long Prairie, I claimed I would be the first girl to attend St. John’s University (that was before I knew any better), I was the sole woman in my sales department for about 5 years from where I use to work, and I was one of the few women who posted on D3football.com.  So I guess it is fitting that I am the aboriginal woman to post an article on Johnniefootball.com.  Thanks guys- I am honored- I feel like now I am in the company of Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, and Alice Rebischke (my grandmother).    As one of my favorite musicians, Bono, has stated in the tune: Get On Your Boots- “Women are the future, all the big revelations”.   

Here it goes: 

Most of you reading this know me as RHB (Red Hot Bennie).  This moniker has stuck with me for almost 10 years now.  I think the reason it has stuck, as it not only represents me, a fellow sister to the Johnnies, but the many Bennies that have helped make Johnnie Football and the Johnnie Nation what it is today.  Behind most Johnnies is a Bennie (if I have my stats correct .  Bennies and Johnnies alike tend to be current, smart, spirited and passionate, and isn’t that what “red hot” means?  Red Hot will always be the status here at St. Ben’s and St. John’s and we as the Benedictine Community should be darn proud of that. 

 
Speaking of Red Hot, Red Hot it was, especially this Saturday at St. John’s Homecoming.   We as the family of Bennies and Johnnies, came home to the wild woods, watched Johnnie Football behind the Pine Curtain, and celebrated “coming home” in unison with current college students, fellow alum, friends, families, kids, and of course the occassional black robe.    In usual Johnnie/Bennie Fashion we gathered pre-game at the tailgate catching up with old pals and making new pals. 

Andrew heads to Afghanistan to serve The USA!

I was even treated to a bacon burger served up with a real vinyl record playing Boston.  Andrew, a 2010 SJU graduate served it up and also serves our country.  From the vinyl to the game we traveled.  We sang, we cheered, we wore red, we triumphed over Augsburg and failed, but only for some brief moments, until the Benedictine Community made the trek to the Tundra with one mind, one body, one spirit.  We sang “Fah who for-aze! Dah who dor-aze!” in the Tundra, as the Who’s did in Whoville the morning of Christmas the Grinch tried to steal away.  We were home, and Red Hot, and that’s what mattered most. 

I was fortunate enough to share in this Homecoming with the people of my graduating class of 1996. It reminded me that we, the Bennies and Johnnies descend from all over the world, country, and walks of life, but in the end-”we all bleed red”.  WE are the Bennie/Johnnie nation in it’s present form following in the footsteps of our former, but creating and helping to unfold the future Bennie/Johnnie Nation.  I think of how my son, who is 6 years old, Little Julio, may one day choose to partake in this grand company and how proud that would make me.  Just think a little “Rojo Caliente” could add some spice to the mix and how important that will be in preserving and expanding the Benedictine values we hold so near and dear to our hearts.   

And she wanted to call him Zachary!

The Johnnie Football team may have lost the game in points, but the Homecoming Spirit was not dampened by defeat.  If anything, it reinforced the unstoppable natural Spirit of the Bennie/Johnnie Nation.  Gracias Johnnies.  Gracias Bennies.  May the Red Hot (Rojo Caliente) Spirit continue to live on in your hearts.   Until next time. 

RHB (Red Hot Bennie)

So why do all Johnnies take such great pride in attending Homecoming, and why do so many of us truly feel that we are indeed at Home when on the grounds of the 56321 zip code? This a very challenging question to answer. Maybe just maybe we Johnnies all feel that getting back to Collegeville and SJU is home because when there we feel like we are home because:

There is nothing like a “Combo” heated up at Bo Dids! Well then there is Gary’s Pizza, either way a good choice!

The Natural Bowl (sorry I do not call it Clemens Stadium) is still one of, if not THE best setting to see a college football game in the USA!

The cuisine and friendship at the Tailgate is simply unparalleled, generations of Johnnies, parents and players gathering to share stories and all that their tailgates have to offer.

This is a time when if you have not seen one of your Johnnie buddies you will run into them on Campus and in a blink of an eye the years will melt away and it will seem like you are actually active Johnnies all over again. Really who would not want to go back!

This is the place where you met who is simply your best damn friends on the planet. And here at HOME this Saturday there is nothing like having a beverage in a RED cup with them and realizing just how special this friendship is.

Where else does the PA Announcer advise that there is Mass after the game, and this is done during the game no matter what the circumstance of the play on the field is. But then again we all know that GOD is a JOHHNIE.

The colors of the leaves, the bell tower, the scent of the grills, the current Johnnie and Bennies, the Monks and Priests ambling about ,and the 186 of our fellow Johnnies taking the field, all indications that you, as a Johnnie are indeed home.

The feeling we all get once we exit I-94, quite frankly I cannot adequately describe it, so let’s just leave it at….we are HOME!

When in Stearns County and on campus it just feels that all is right in the world, doesn’t it?

It is the MIAC’s version of the Catholics vs. the Convicts! Auggie Tech is rolling into the ‘Ville so let’s warmly welcome them with hip-hop music, crooked hats and pants worn a bit too low!

It’s the 2011 edition of HOME-coming for all of us who decided NOT to attend a College but rather become JOHHNIES, it is unrivaled!

The Johnnies were thoroughly embarrassed a couple weeks ago against Wisconsin-Eau Claire.  Longtime Johnnie football followers said they had never seen such a pathetic home game performance (31-0 at the half).  It was a listless performance against a team picked to finish 7th out of 8 WIAC teams. 

Last weekend was a welcome sign of resilience.  Making the trip to Moorhead and scheming for their offensive sets is never an easy task.  The Johnnies got out to a nice 1st half lead, gave it up in the 4th quarter, and then found a way to win in overtime.  They need to carry that momentum into the rest of the season.  The more game experience that the Johnnie freshmen can get the better.

This week, Augsburg (2-0), brings their pro style, spread offense to St. John’s.  The Johnnies have struggled mightily against the pass this year and the secondary will have to play well.  The Auggies had their freshmen RB run for four TDs last week so the the defensive backfield will need to support the run too.

—————

Prediction: SJU 34 – Augsburg 21

The Stiftungsfestivities tailgate party will be taking place again this week starting around 9-10am above the scoreboard.  There will be the world famous burgers and some authentic Chicago Polish Sausages brought by a Johnnie alumnus.  Bring a treat to share and introduce yourself.  Everyone is welcome.

Jimmie Mattson Soph. Kicker

Many Johnnie fans also questioned an interception thrown by Joe Boyle with less than a minute to go in the game. “Why would you throw a sideline pattern when you  should be positioning in the center of the field to attempt a field goal in the closing seconds?”, this was the conversation that was going on between  thousands of Johnnie faithful in the stands and later in St. Joe at the La Playette and Sals as Johnnies and Bennies anguished over this loss to the Tommies. The answer that most Johnnie fans were not aware of is that the pass was tipped slightly by a defensive lineman at the line of scrimmage taking just enough velocity  off the ball to allow the UST defensive back to make a diving interception. If that pass wasn’t tipped at the line, there’s a pretty good likelihood that the Johnnies  either would have had a significant gain or perhaps a touchdown on that play as the Johnnie receiver  was open, had the pass gotten to him.

Joe Boyle Sr. QB

The Johnnies had beaten the Tommies the past 12 games, number 13 wasn’t so lucky for the Johnnies. St. Thomas hadn’t won in Collegeville since many of the players parents were in their late teens or early twenties. There is also the fact that the “Holy Grail”, a traveling trophy that had taken up permanent residency in the trophy case at the Donald McNeely Spectrum, now will rest in the multimillion dollar athletic training facility that was recently constructed on the campus of UST. Coach John Gagliardi was quoted  in the St. Cloud Times  as saying he knew the winning streak against St. Thomas wouldn’t last forever,but this loss in this fashion really hurts.

For now the Johnnies post season aspirations are out of their own control, having two losses to regional opponents makes the 2010 playoffs  a long shot. As odd as it may sound the Johnnies will need help from St. Thomas and Eau Claire, meaning besides SJU all Johnnie fans should be rooting for St. Thomas and Eau Claire as well as for the upset of other regional teams such as Whitewater, Coe College and Linfield College in games yet to be played in their season.

As for the players and coaches, their focus is on the next game against the always tough Bethel team in  Arden Hills on Saturday.

*Photos are courtesy of gojohnnies.com

It seems to me that many of those who consider themselves “experts” in the field of prognostication have already categorized this weekend’s game as a BIG game for the Johnnies and the Johnnie only! While far from being an expert I do think that it would be wise to consider the following.

The Johnnies are not the team who has not beaten this week’s opponent since 1997! That is right we are indeed looking for a Baker’s Dozen this year when the people of the purple roll into Collegeville.

The Johnnies were not the team that either qualified for or received the award for the biggest turnaround in a season. Why not you ask? Well let’s just say that we have not needed to have such a dramatic turnaround since Fr Don was giving God (who we all know is a Johnnie) a B in Theology Class! Seriously, biggest turnaround, much like comeback player of the year, it means that you had to really SUCK and now you only SUCK less!

The Johnnies are not the team that feels a need (to appease their never ending identity crisis down there at the corner of Cretin and Summit) to issue a press release touting and identifying incoming Freshman Football Players or the existence of a new locker room! At SJU no need to partake in the “look at me/us now generation”, just show up at the 53621, get your pads and you are on the team, really no BIG deal! The Johnnie Nation knows the roster and supports you 100%, even without the above mentioned press releases!

The Johnnies are not the team that is still touting their great 2009 campaign due to a whopping 11 wins! At SJU we do not consider any season successful by counting the number of wins, we prefer to count Conference and National Titles instead. But when you have only won 14 Conference titles (compared to our 31) in your History I guess 11 win is a BIG (and ever so sad) deal.

The Johnnies are not the team expected to win! Believe it or not the Johnnies are an actual underdog for Homecoming at the Natural Bowl; this is according to the “experts”. No BIG deal, Bone Crusher (13), Killer (97), the Big Grabowski (7), Csonka (34), Rain Man (11), Lacrosse Lightening (17), and JB (9) prefer to just go about their business on the Field; the results will speak for themselves.

Simply put every game is a BIG game for the Johnnies. Just because the Lane Kiffin of the MIAC and his band of purple clad Oakland Rider wanna be uniform boys are rolling into the “Ville” does not escalate this week over any other!

Tommie/Johnnie 2010, College Football at it’s best and purest! Let’s get it started in good fashion at the Tailgate and welcome our Tommie fans with warm greetings and ice cold beverages, served in RED cups!

Whoahh!

Operation Order No. 0001

Code Name: Operation Overrated

Time Zone: Central Standard Time

Forecast: High 57F, Low 44F; winds S at 9 mph; sunrise at 0717, sunset at 1856.

1. 1.       SITUATION
   1. a.      Enemy Forces
      1. Composition, disposition and strength:

Approximately 6,000 Tommies of the 18^th Tom Cat Brigade (18^th Tom Cat BDE) have a long established camp at the corner of Cretin Avenue South and Summit Avenue (code name: Camp UST) in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the heart of the 18^th Tom Cat BDE is a company-sized element, the 99^th Tommie Football Company (99^th Tommie Football CO) that fights neighbors as a recruiting tool.

1. Recent Activities:

99^th Tommie Football CO has been the current operational arm of Camp UST and has been amassing strength. Recent engagements include successful assaults at De Pere, Wisconsin; River Falls, Wisconsin; and a successfully defended combat out post (COP) at O’Shaughnessy Stadium on two separate occasions.

1. Known Locations:

Signal intelligence (SIGINT) has pinpointed 99^th Tommie Football CO current location to Camp UST.

1. Most likely/dangerous course of action:

Human intelligence (HUMINT) has confirmed that the 18^th Tom Cat BDE is planning an assault on COP Clemens Stadium; planned mission time is set for 1300 on 2 October 2010. Support elements within the 18^th Tom Cat BDE will begin to attempt to infiltrate enemy lines no later than (NLT) 1900 on 1 October 2010. HUMINT suggests that that the first phase of this operation will be made primarily by the 102^nd Drunk Tommie Student Support Battalion (102^nd DTSS BN) on St. Joseph, Minnesota. Past assaults on Fort Collegeville have used bars and numerous St. Joseph party houses as patrol bases and assembly areas for the operation. HUMINT has also discovered that at approximately 0730 on 2 October 99^th Tommie Football CO will embark from Camp UST in a convoy of 2-3 unarmored personnel carrier busses. By 0930 on 2 October, the 99^th Tommie Football CO will be preparing for the primary assault on COP Clemens Stadium by occupying a nearby objective rally point (ORP). By 1000 on 2 October, the 401^st Drunk Tommie Alumni Support Battalion (401^st DTAS BN) will have initiated its supporting operation on Fort Collegeville.

        Supporting operations are expected to begin at 1000 on 2 October with the 401^st DTAS BN and 102^nd DTSS BN drinking copious amounts of Zima, Hard Lemonade and cheap    beer and opening a support-by-trash-talking operation by painting each others faces          purple and spewing unintelligible insults and rhetoric at members of the 1^st Johnnie                Nation Division (1^st Johnnie Nation DIV).

        The 99^th Tommie Football CO will attempt to seize COP Clemens Stadium with the use of              ground and air offensive assets, deceptive defensive schemes, and sound special teams              support.

1. b.      Friendly Forces

        The 2^nd College of Saint Benedict Support Battalion (2^nd CSBS BN) will remain attached    and will assist with supporting operations.

        Elements of the 3^rd MIAC Corps will be performing independent shaping operations at various locations across Zone Minnesota to prevent further generations from being captured and indoctrinated by the 18^th Tom Cat BDE and becoming subjects thereof.

        A referee squad from Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) of 3^rd MIAC        Corps will also be present at COP Clemens Stadium to ensure that all rules of battle are             followed pursuant to NCAA rules and, at times, function as a scapegoat to cover up poor         tactical decisions made by the 10^th Johnnie Football BN Commander or the 99^th Tommie                Football CO Commander.

1. 2.       MISSION

Elements of the 1^st Johnnie Nation DIV will defend and defeat the 2 October 2010 planned attack on Fort Collegeville by 18^th Tom Cat BDE in order to (IOT) secure freedom of movement (FOM) for planned future operations by the 10^th Johnnie Football Battalion (10^th Johnnie Football BN) to secure its 32^nd Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship, and to send all elements of the 18^th Tom Cat BDE away from Fort Collegeville with an unshakable feeling of disappointment.

1. 3.       EXECUTION
   1. a.      Concept of the Operation

The 1^st Johnnie Nation DIV will accomplish this mission by amassing its combat power at Fort Collegeville. The 2^nd CSBS BN, 3^rd Johnnie Student Nation Support Battalion (3^rd JSNS BN), and 4^th Saint John’s University Alumni Support Brigade (4^th SJUAS BDE) will occupy various critical points within Fort Collegeville, suppress enemy support operations by hosting the best tailgate gathering and fill COP Clemens Stadium with thunderous noise to disrupt the signal calling capabilities of the 99^th Tommie Football CO.

The 10^th Johnnie Football BN will conduct the primary defensive effort, using advanced tactics to exploit communication disruption provided by the supporting units.

1. b.      Tasks to Maneuver Units

10^th Johnnie Football BN will occupy COP Clemens Stadium no later than (NLT) 1200 on 2 October 2010 and conduct a successful defense through the use of ground and air offensive assets, deceptive defensive schemes, and supportive special teams, IOT defeat the primary assault by 99^th Tommie Football CO.

After victory, 10^th Johnnie Football BN will exfiltrate to the assembly area at Warner Palestra, report status of personnel and equipment to media outlets and wait for follow-on mission.

1. c.       Tasks to Combat Support Units

The supporting operation will be conducted in three (3) phases: 1) Occupation, 2) Tailgating and 3) Assault Operations.

1. Phase I—Occupation Ops, 2 October 2010:

3^rd JSNS BN will continue its occupation of Fort Collegeville and link up with the remaining support elements as they move to occupy Fort Collegeville.

        4^th SJUAS BDE will move to occupy Fort Collegeville between 0800 and 1100.

        2^nd CSBS BN will use LINK Bus service to move to occupy Fort Collegeville between 0800                and 1100.

1. Phase II—Tailgating Ops:

Supporting elements will link up at Stiftungsfestivities, located in Science Lot #1 south of COP Clemens Stadium, for food, beverage, and small-unit tactics rehearsals between 0800 and 1230.

1. Phase III—Assault Ops:

Supporting elements will conduct a mass movement into COP Clemens Stadium in preparation for the primary assault at 1300.

3^rd JSNS BN and 2^nd CSBS BN will occupy the student section in the north end zone as early as possible to prevent seizure by the enemy. Upon occupation, student support units will establish noise superiority over the enemy. Specific cheer and chant tactics will be the decision of the unit commander of Rat Pak Platoon (Rat Pak PLT).

4^th SJUAS BDE will occupy COP Clemens Stadium, sections 100-110 and the surrounding hillsides, then follow and support Rat Pak PLT cheer and chant orders.

1^st Men’s Chorus Platoon (1^st Men’s Chorus PLT) will initiate primary assault operations NLT 1255 and enhance Esprit de Johnnies with renditions of the Johnnie Fight Song and Star Spangled Banner.

After victory, support elements will secure the perimeter of COP Clemens Stadium, conduct a sweep of the interior for any drunk, crying, slobbering belligerents of the 18^th Tom Cat BDE and escort them out of the perimeter to wallow in shame for the 13^th consecutive year. Once clear, support elements will wait for follow-on celebratory mission.

1. d.      Coordinating Instructions

Support element commanders are to instruct individual units to enter COP Clemens Stadium as soon as gates open at 1000 to save general admission seats with blankets.

Support element commanders are instructed to exhaust all cheer and chant resources to defeat the Tommie threat.

Standing rules of engagement (ROE): All personnel will engage hostile Tommie threats immediately with reminders of “Tommies Suck.” All passed out drunk Tommie Students and/or crying Tommie fans are not considered threats and Johnnie personnel are not authorized to engage these targets under ROE and the Geneva Convention.

The referee squad from HHC/3^rd MIAC Corps is a non-belligerent party in this conflict and is not authorized to be engaged under current ROE.

All support elements will withhold chants of “O-VER-RA-TED” until the 10^th Johnnie Football CO has confirmed a victory by activating the fifth-string reserve quarterback in the assault.

1. 4.       SERVICE AND SUPPORT

Class I (Rations): JohnnieRed will be cooking burgers at Stiftungsfestivities in Science Lot #1, other personnel are encouraged to bring their own culinary delights to share NLT 1000 on 2 October 2010.

Class II (Clothing, Uniforms): Clothing and Uniforms will be distributed by the SJU Bookstore at Sexton Commons and inside COP Clemens Stadium.

Class VI (Alcohol, tobacco): Any alcohol and tobacco will need to be purchased prior to execution of mission by individual personnel. Open consumption of alcohol on Fort Collegeville is prohibited; however, discrete, responsible consumption is highly encouraged.

1. 5.       COMMAND AND SIGNAL
   1. a.      Command

Commander of 10^th Johnnie Football BN, legendary coach John Gagliardi, will be located on the west sideline or, if weather dictates, in the press box.

1. b.      Signal

Primary instruction, description and orders will come from Fr. Tim Backous via the public address channel.

Secondary instruction and description of the battle will come from Johnnie Football Network host Mark Lewandowski on AM-600 WBHR (Local).

Mid-October 2006 and I receive an acceptance letter from St. John’s University.  Most of my friends would take until May to decide.  Me?  I decided Johnnie-on-the-spot that SJU was the place for me.  My first Johnnie game as a “soon-to-be-Johnnie” was led by an opening 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Brandon Royce-Diop.  Each and every second of it happened in slow motion.  Never before, and never to this day, have I had more goosebumps/chills than during that kick return.  I was going to be a Johnnie and at this moment I knew life in the 56321 would be four of the best years of my life.

Such was life as a Senior in High School and “soon-to-be-Johnnie”

Fast forward four years.  It is 4:00AM on a Monday morning and I am just closing my Advanced Accounting book.  I am practically asleep and I am not prepared for a 45 point consolidation question let alone the 125 point exam.

4 hours later I crawl into my first class of four.  These days are always the worst.  And by worst, I mean it is all over around 2:30PM when my body hits the couch for ESPN and a siesta.

Later in the night, I find myself dealing out the cards.  The bid gets to me and I declare Nula.  Nobody at the table likes it because this 250 point bid could win my team the game.  Being the Nula master, it was not a hard bid to accomplish.  Don’t worry though- it was just one game of many for the night.  What a contrast from the night before when I was stressing out over Advanced Accounting.

3:00AM on a Tuesday morning and we decide to put the cards away for the night.  The next day holds no class for me- just a few meetings and homework for the next full day of class.

Such is life in the 56321.

Life in the 56321

Instead of exams/homework there are deadlines.  Failure to hit these deadlines loses the trust of co-workers and puts your job in jeopardy.  Taking a midday nap most likely is not condoned in the workplace either.  Playing cards/watching a movie with best friends is a rare occasion when there is time to be spent with the family.

Such is life in the “real world” or close to it.

Johnnie Faithful

Whether you just got accepted and are coming to your first Johnnie game, a current college student cheering on your Johnnies, or an alumni coming back to relive the glory days, hopefully you will enjoy this weekend as a part of the Johnnie family.

And hopefully there will be a special moment that gives us all goosebumps again.

-PBJ

P.s.- the 2006 game referred to is none other than the 2006 Johnnie/Tommie game.  Guess who won?

PUREBRED PREDICTION (2-1 on the year):

This matchup, in front of a record crowd, will be no different than the prior two matchups which were separated by a combined 6 points, a fumble on the goal-line, and a dive across the pylon.

Similar to the game against the Auggies, the Johnnie D clearly does its homework and holds the Tommies to their lowest point total on the season.  The Johnnie O struggles early trying to pound the ball between the tackles where they have a clear size advantage.  This results in 3^rd and long situations leading to consecutive punts to start the game.  The next offensive possessions show a return to the good, unpredictable mix of play-calling which provides just enough offense to continue the Johnnie Homecoming winning streak dating back to 1994.

By the way, the Tommies come out of the gate thinking its Halloween and give the Johnnie D some trickery.  Fool us once, shame on you.  Fool us twice…YOU WILL NEVER FOOL US TWICE!  (watch for the fake option, pass)

Johnnies 24, Tommies 23

Johnnie/Tommie 2009

Homecoming Game-Day Parking and Travel Information

The Johnnie-Tommie football game has a long, storied, and successful tradition that draws enormous crowds. This year’s game, scheduled Saturday, October 2, 2010, falls on Homecoming. This event has potential to attract 15,000 fans, which would shatter SJU’s football home-game attendance record.

As SJU prepares for a record-breaking game day, we are making every effort to maintain a safe, fun, and family-friendly environment for our visitors. We ask that you take time to familiarize yourself with our campus policies:

TRAVEL:

• PLAN AHEAD!! ARRIVE EARLY!! BE PATIENT!!
• Carpooling is recommended as parking WILL BE limited.
• Law enforcement has been secured to direct traffic off Interstate 94. SJU Security will direct traffic on campus and into the parking lots.
• No unsanctioned buses will be allowed on campus.
• Follow traffic control officers’ instructions and drive where you are directed to go.

PARKING AT SJU:

• To maintain safety, follow traffic control officers’ instructions and park were you are directed.
• Street/roadway parking WILL NOT be allowed in order to keep roadways open for emergency situations.
• ALL VIP parking has been assigned.
• Inner campus parking lots will be filled first.
• Once inner campus is full, access will be limited and vehicles will be directed to outer campus parking lots.

PARKING AT CSB:

We expect a very busy weekend at both CSB and SJU.  A volleyball tournament is scheduled in the HCC on Friday and Saturday and we will host a wedding on Saturday evening in the GDCC.  In addition, Campus Visit Days are scheduled at both CSB and SJU on Saturday.

To help ensure a safe and enjoyable time for everyone, CSB will enact the following parking program on October 2:

• CSB students with a valid student parking permit are to park in their assigned lots.
• CSB and SJU employees are to park in their assigned lot or in lot 15 on Saturday.
• SJU students are to park in lot 1 and the old Kennedy elementary parking lot.
• Guests attending the Campus Visit Day will be directed to park in lot 14.
• Guests attending the volleyball tournament will be directed to park in lots 6, 11, 5 and 14.
• Guests attending the wedding will be directed to park in the events row of lot 2 and lots 5 and 14.  Those parking stalls will be blocked off and available only to wedding guests.
• All other guests, including those attending the football game at SJU, will be directed to park in lots 1, 15 and the old Kennedy Elementary School parking lot (located across the street from campus on College Avenue).
• Overflow parking, if necessary, will be directed to park in the field across from the East Apartments on College Avenue.

If you have additional questions, please call the CSB Security Office at 320-363-5000.

For information about the location of parking lots, please view the CSB Campus Map.

CLEMENS STADIUM:

• Ticket Office opens at 10:00 a.m.
• Reserved seats are SOLD OUT. General admission tickets are still available.
• Additional seating is added to the visitor side of the field.
• Additional bathroom facilities have been placed about the venue for this event.
• Use provided trash receptacles and bathroom facilities in order to maintain the natural environment.

TAILGATING:

• Tailgating must be confined to the small area around your vehicle. For safety purposes, traffic aisles and parking spaces cannot be blocked at any time.
• Open flame fires, including fire pits, are prohibited. Propane and small charcoal grills are permitted for cooking. Burned coals or cooking residue must not make contact with the pavement. All coals must be extinguished and the area must be clean prior to leaving.
• No glass containers or disruptive music or behavior are allowed.
• No promotional or marketing activities, or sale or solicitation of products, food or beverages are permitted without prior written permission of SJU.

ALCOHOL/DRUGS:

• Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on the campus grounds, parking lots or venue. No one is allowed to consume alcoholic beverages on University or Order of Saint Benedict property without prior approval.
• Alcoholic beverages and related items, including containers, kegs, taps and beer bongs, are prohibited. These items will be confiscated without return when a violation occurs.
• University regulations on drug and alcohol consumption will be strictly enforced. The illegal use or sale of drugs or alcohol will not be tolerated by SJU.

ANIMALS:

The natural environment surrounding SJU is a state game refuge. Therefore, the Order of Saint Benedict does not allow leashed or unleashed family pets on campus. Exceptions to this include services animals to assist visually and/or hearing impaired persons and other exceptions granted in writing by the Order of St. Benedict. Service animals must be properly identified with a vest or other method to recognize the animal’s purpose.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

Show your pride. Be loud, be proud and be positive. Be respectful of the surrounding communities on this day. We ask that you properly represent SJU and show the University of St. Thomas that we have the best fans in all of Division III.

POST-GAME:

• Homecoming festivities are open to everyone.
• Join the post-game celebration on the Tundra. Shuttles will pick-up on the north-side of Sexton Commons by the tennis courts and run to the outer lots until 9 p.m. Shuttle buses will run as normal during the morning and throughout the game.
• We look forward to seeing you at Homecoming. Have fun and be safe as you re-connect with your fellow Johnnies over the Homecoming weekend. For those of you who intend on visiting the local area in the evening, enjoy yourself, respect the area, and let us know if we can assist you in any way.

Whether you are a first-time guest or a dedicated visitor, we hope you have an enjoyable day. Thank you for assisting SJU in providing a safe, family-friendly and fun event.

More information can be found here: http://www.csbsju.edu/SJU-Student-Development/Parking-for-Homecoming.htm

It’s got the distance. Got the distance! IT’S GOOD!