Winning in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) is a grind. Honestly, if you aren't familiar with the landscape of NCAA Division II football in the Midwest, it's hard to grasp just how brutal the schedule is for Concordia University St. Paul football. We aren't talking about casual Saturday afternoon scrimmages. This is a league where you run into powerhouses like Minnesota State Mankato or Augustana almost every other week, and for the Golden Bears, every yard gained at Sea Foam Stadium is earned through a specific kind of St. Paul grit.
They've had their ups and downs. That’s just the reality.
The program, often referred to as CSP, operates in a unique space. While many DII schools are tucked away in rural college towns where the football team is the only show in town, Concordia sits right in the heart of the Twin Cities. You’ve got the bright lights of Minneapolis and St. Paul literally framing the campus. This creates a recruiting dynamic that is vastly different from their rivals in Marshall or Bemidji.
The Shannon Currier Era and the Identity of Golden Bear Football
When you talk about Concordia University St. Paul football, you have to talk about Shannon Currier. He’s the head coach who has become synonymous with the program's modern identity. Currier is actually in his second stint with the team, which is a bit of a rarity in the coaching world. He originally led the Golden Bears from 2000 to 2003, a period that many fans still point to as the "golden era." During those years, they weren't just participating; they were winning conference championships.
He came back in 2016. Why? Because he knew the potential of a private school in a major metropolitan area.
Building a winner at a school like CSP isn't just about drawing up a creative playbook. It’s about navigating the scholarship limits of Division II while competing against state schools that often have deeper pockets and larger alumni bases. Currier has leaned heavily into a "culture-first" approach. You’ll hear him talk about "The Standard" a lot. It sounds like coach-speak, but when you watch them play a heavy-hitter like Duluth, you see it in the way they rotate their defensive line to stay fresh.
Sea Foam Stadium: A Unique Home Field Advantage
Most people don't realize that Sea Foam Stadium is actually one of the better viewing experiences in the region. It’s compact. It’s loud. Because the stands are so close to the turf, the atmosphere feels intimate and high-stakes. The stadium opened in 2009, and it basically changed the trajectory of the program’s visibility. Before that, they were bouncing around different local fields. Having a permanent home on campus—especially one with a view of the city skyline—is a massive "get" for 18-year-old recruits who want that urban vibe without getting lost in a massive University of Minnesota crowd.
Recruiting the Twin Cities and Beyond
The recruiting strategy for Concordia University St. Paul football is basically a "raid the backyard" mission. The coaching staff focuses heavily on the "7-county metro" area. Think about the talent coming out of Lakeville, Eden Prairie, and Woodbury. A lot of those kids get overlooked by the Gophers or the big FCS schools like North Dakota State. CSP swoops in and offers them a chance to play high-level ball while staying twenty minutes from home.
💡 You might also like: Por qué los partidos de Primera B de Chile son más entretenidos que la división de honor
But it's not just local kids.
You’ll see a surprising number of players from Florida or Texas on the roster. This is where the private school advantage kicks in. They can sometimes leverage different financial aid packages that public universities can't touch. It’s a delicate balance. You need the tough, "cold-weather" linemen from rural Minnesota to anchor the trenches, but you also need the explosive speed from the South to compete with the elite speed of the NSIC’s top receivers.
The Statistical Reality of the NSIC
Let's be real: the NSIC is a defensive coordinator's nightmare. It’s a league dominated by massive offensive lines and "three yards and a cloud of dust" mentalities, but lately, it’s shifted toward a high-flying spread attack. CSP has had to adapt. In recent seasons, the stats show a program that is fighting to find consistency on the offensive side of the ball.
If you look at their 2023 and 2024 campaigns, the struggle was often in the red zone. They could move the ball between the 20s, but finishing drives became the hurdle. Converting those field goals into touchdowns is basically the difference between a 3-8 season and a 7-4 season in this league.
The NFL Pedigree You Might Not Expect
One thing that usually catches people off guard is the program’s ability to produce pro-level talent. Concordia University St. Paul football is the alma mater of Zach Moore. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he was a defensive end who got drafted in the 6th round by the New England Patriots back in 2014.
Think about that for a second.
A kid from a small DII school in St. Paul ends up with a Super Bowl ring. It proves that the scouting eyes do find their way to Sea Foam Stadium. More recently, players like Chris Garrett have kept that tradition alive. Garrett was a monster on the edge, breaking NCAA forced fumble records before being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. When a coach can point to a Super Bowl trophy and say, "A guy who sat in this locker room won that," it changes the way recruits look at the program.
📖 Related: South Carolina women's basketball schedule: What Most People Get Wrong
Living the DII Student-Athlete Life
Being a football player at Concordia isn't just about the three hours on Saturday. These guys are students first, mainly because there isn't a multi-million dollar NIL deal waiting for most Division II players. They are in the classroom, they are doing internships in downtown St. Paul, and they are balancing a schedule that would make most people's heads spin.
The school itself is relatively small, with around 5,000 students. This means the football players are visible. They aren't isolated in some "athlete village." They’re the guys sitting next to you in your business marketing or kinesiology class.
The Rivalry Factor
While everyone talks about the big D1 rivalries, the "Battle for the Sledge" or the games against Winona State are where the real heat is. The NSIC is split into divisions, and the geographical proximity of the teams means these players grew up playing against each other in high school. It’s personal. When CSP plays Winona, you’re seeing guys who have been chirping at each other since they were fifteen years old in All-State camps.
Why the Program Matters in the St. Paul Sports Scene
In a city dominated by the Wild, the Twins, and the Vikings, small-college football can sometimes get drowned out. But Concordia University St. Paul football provides an accessible entry point for fans who love the sport but hate the $200 price tag of a professional game. It’s pure. It’s raw.
You see the mistakes. You see the gutsy fourth-down gambles that a conservative NFL coach would never take.
The program is also a major employer and a driver of activity in the Midway area of St. Paul. On game days, the local bars and restaurants see a legitimate bump. It’s a community ecosystem. The university has invested heavily in the athletics corridor, and that investment is starting to show in the facilities and the overall "feel" of the campus on a Saturday in October.
Facing the Challenges of the Modern Game
It’s not all sunshine and tailgates. The transfer portal has made life incredibly difficult for DII schools. If a player at Concordia has a breakout season—say, a linebacker records 100 tackles and 5 sacks—he’s immediately going to get "recruited" by bigger DI programs looking for proven talent.
👉 See also: Scores of the NBA games tonight: Why the London Game changed everything
CSP has to "re-recruit" their own roster every single winter.
It’s a constant battle to keep their best players from jumping ship for the lure of "big-time" football. Coach Currier and his staff have to sell the value of the degree and the loyalty of the program. They have to convince these young men that being a four-year starter and a legend at Concordia is better than being a backup at a mid-major DI school.
The Path Forward
So, what’s next? For the Golden Bears to take that next step into the upper echelon of the NSIC—the territory occupied by the likes of Ferris State or Grand Valley State on a national level—they need to find consistency at the quarterback position. In the modern game, you can have a great defense, but if you can't put up 30 points a game, you’re going to struggle in the Northern Sun.
They’ve been aggressive in the portal themselves, looking for experienced signal-callers who can execute a more vertical passing game. They want to stretch the field. They want to make teams defend every blade of grass on that Sea Foam turf.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Athletes
If you’re looking to engage with Concordia University St. Paul football, don't just check the scores on a Saturday night. There are better ways to actually understand the pulse of this program.
- Attend a game at Sea Foam Stadium: Seriously, the view of the skyline at sunset during a night game is one of the best "hidden gems" in Minnesota sports.
- Watch the trenches: If you want to see if CSP is going to win, stop watching the ball. Watch the offensive line. In the NSIC, the team that wins the point of attack usually wins the game.
- Follow the local recruiting trail: Keep an eye on the Star Tribune’s All-Metro teams. When you see a kid sign with CSP over a smaller DI school, that’s a huge win for the program's trajectory.
- Support the Comet fund: For those who want to see the program grow, direct support to the athletic department is what funds the travel and tech (like Hudl and GPS tracking) that keeps them competitive with the "big boys" of the conference.
The Golden Bears are a testament to the "middle class" of college football. They aren't playing for billion-dollar TV contracts, but they are playing for a conference title and a shot at the playoffs in one of the toughest divisions in the country. It’s tough, it’s gritty, and it’s exactly what St. Paul football should be.