Servin' Up Home Cookin' vs ETBU
As this August’s slight chill in the air reminds us, football season is close at hand, and perhaps no event at a SJU football game makes a bigger impact on gameday than the idea of meeting the old gang on campus over a hot grill and celebrating yet one more reason to be in Collegeville!
Famous Dave and his Wild Rice Brats
Tailgating is an essential part of the college football experience—with tailgating at each campus exceptional in illustrating the peculiar characteristics of the school for which the tailgating is supporting: e.g. Linfield has its seafood given its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, while Whitewater, true to its Wisconsin base, serves a mouth-watering brat. SJU is no exception to this tradition, as Collegeville known throughout NCAA Division III for the Stiftungsfest burger shared to visitors by Johnnie Red, a/k/a Mike Fahey ’75.
Grill Man Mike Fahey AKA Johnnie Red
The Stiftungsfestivities are an open celebration of St. John’s football, and it—along with the football team and the Sea of Red—has travelled throughout Division III—from Oregon all the way to Virginia. What is particularly unique about the Johnnie gameday experience is its Benedictine flavor: the Johnnie faithful make it be known that our celebration is open to all visitors and guests of campus. It truly is an amazing way to make a visit to Collegeville—sharing a meal with fellow St. John’s alumni while welcoming newcomers to campus and treating those visitors as one of us—if only until kickoff!
The SJU Alumni Association seeks to continue and encourage the SJU gameday experience this fall in launching a Gameday Host program that will provide a resource to visitors and fans regarding gameday activities. These hosts will assist in welcoming guests for the game as well as informing Johnnie fans about the do’s and can’t do’s on campus—so that the enjoyable Collegeville fall Saturday traditions can continue to be a positive experience for all fans into the future.
More to come on the Gameday activities; and if you are interested in assisting with or learning more about the Gameday Host program, please contact me. We’re looking for good Johnnie hosts who love to show off their campus!
Johnnie Pregame Activity
Eric Brever AKA JohnnieEsq is an ‘01 Johnnie grad serving professionally as a Twin Cities attorney, volunteer HS Football coach and SJU alumni board member. You can contact JohnnieEsq at JohnnieEsq@JohnnieFootball.com.
