It wasn't supposed to be this easy. When the University of St. Thomas was essentially kicked out of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in 2019 for being "too good," everyone assumed the transition to Division I would be a multi-year slog through the mud. Critics said the Tommies would get bullied. They argued that a non-scholarship program jumping straight from D3 to the FCS Pioneer Football League would result in a decade of losing seasons.
They were wrong.
St Thomas MN football didn't just survive the jump; they dominated it almost immediately. In 2022, just their second year at the D1 level, the Tommies captured the Pioneer Football League (PFL) title. That’s insane. Think about the logistics of that for a second. You go from playing Hamline and Macalester to flying across the country to face San Diego and Davidson, and you still end up on top. It’s one of the weirdest, most successful anomalies in modern college sports history.
The MIAC Ousting and the "Involuntary" Transition
To understand why St Thomas MN football is where it is today, you have to look at the drama of 2019. It’s still a sore subject in the Twin Cities. The MIAC essentially voted to remove St. Thomas because the school’s athletic department had become a juggernaut. The scores were getting ugly. We're talking 60-0, 70-0 blowouts that weren't fun for anyone involved.
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The conference cited "athletic competitive parity" as the reason for the split. Basically, St. Thomas was too big, too well-funded, and too successful for the small-school atmosphere of the MIAC. This forced the school to seek a waiver from the NCAA to jump directly from Division III to Division I, skipping the mandatory Division II period.
It was a gamble.
Coach Glenn Caruso, who has been the architect of this program since 2008, didn't flinch. Caruso is the kind of guy who talks about "culture" and "process" in a way that actually sounds believable, mostly because his win-loss record backs it up. Under his leadership, the Tommies have maintained a blue-collar identity despite their move to a more high-profile stage.
The Reality of Non-Scholarship D1 Football
One thing people often get wrong about St Thomas MN football is the money. Since they play in the Pioneer Football League, they are technically "non-scholarship" for football. This puts them in the same boat as schools like Butler, Valparaiso, and Drake.
You might think that makes recruiting impossible. How do you convince a kid to play D1 football without a full ride?
The answer lies in the pitch. St. Thomas leans heavily on its academic reputation and its location in Saint Paul. The Twin Cities market is a massive draw for players who want post-grad internships and jobs at Fortune 500 companies like Target, 3M, or UnitedHealth Group. They aren't selling NFL dreams as much as they are selling a high-level football experience coupled with a degree that actually moves the needle in the Midwest.
Scheduling and the O’Shaughnessy Advantage
Home games at O’Shaughnessy Stadium are still an event. Even with the move to D1, the atmosphere hasn't lost its soul. The stadium seats about 5,000, but they routinely pack in more, creating a tight, loud environment that is genuinely intimidating for visiting teams who aren't used to the Minnesota cold.
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The schedule has shifted from local bus rides to national flights.
In a typical season, you’ll see the Tommies facing off against:
- University of San Diego (The West Coast powerhouse)
- Morehead State (Kentucky)
- Marist (New York)
- Stetson (Florida)
It's a bizarre geographic footprint. But it works. The school has the resources to handle the travel, and the players get a "national" experience that they never would have seen in the MIAC.
Why the Defense Stays Savage
If you watch a St Thomas MN football game today, the first thing you notice isn't a flashy passing game. It's the defense. Coach Caruso and his staff have a philosophy rooted in stopping the run and forcing turnovers. They play a brand of football that feels very "Upper Midwest"—rugged, disciplined, and slightly mean.
In their 2022 championship run, the Tommies defense was top-tier in the FCS for scoring defense. They weren't just winning; they were suffocating teams. This wasn't a fluke. It was the result of a recruiting pipeline that targets the best "overlooked" kids in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois—players who might be an inch too short or a step too slow for the Big Ten but have the motor to ruin a PFL quarterback's afternoon.
Honestly, the transition success is largely due to the fact that they didn't change their DNA. They didn't try to become a "finesse" D1 team. They stayed a "punch you in the mouth" D3 team that just happened to change its zip code.
The Post-Season Problem (The Transition Rule)
Here is the frustrating part for Tommie fans. Because of NCAA rules regarding the transition from D3 to D1, St. Thomas has been ineligible for the FCS playoffs for a four-year window.
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This means that even when they won the PFL in 2022, they couldn't go to the big dance. They stayed home while the runner-up got the playoff berth. It sucks. There’s no other way to put it. For the players, it means playing for pride and conference rings rather than a national title shot.
However, that window is closing. As we move deeper into the 2020s, the eligibility restrictions are lifting. This makes the next few years of St Thomas MN football incredibly high-stakes. Once they are fully postseason-eligible, they won't just be a "feel-good story" about a school that got kicked out of its old home. They will be a legitimate threat in the FCS landscape.
Recruiting in the Transfer Portal Era
The landscape of St Thomas MN football is also being shaped by the Transfer Portal. While the PFL doesn't offer athletic scholarships, St. Thomas is seeing an influx of "bounce-back" players—kids who went to FBS schools (like Minnesota, Iowa, or Wisconsin), realized they weren't going to start, and wanted to return closer to home for a high-quality education.
It's a weird market inefficiency. St. Thomas gets D1-talent players who prioritize their 40-year career over their 4-year career.
Recruiting local talent remains the priority. The program has deep roots in the Minnesota high school football scene. Coaches from Eden Prairie, Lakeville North, and Wayzata have been sending kids to St. Thomas for decades. That pipeline didn't dry up when the logos changed; if anything, it got stronger because the kids can now say they are playing "Division I football" in their own backyard.
Misconceptions About the Move
People think St. Thomas is "buying" its way to the top. While it’s true the school has a significant endowment and wealthy alumni, the PFL’s non-scholarship model actually levels the playing field significantly. You can't just throw money at 85 players and win. You have to find 85 kids who can get into a rigorous academic institution and want to play for the love of the game (and a good financial aid package).
Another myth is that the rivalry with St. John’s is dead. While they don't play every year anymore, the "Johnnie-Tommie" spirit still haunts the program. That rivalry set a standard for excellence that prepared St. Thomas for the D1 level. You can't play in front of 37,000 people at Target Field (as they did for a D3 game) and then get intimidated by a small D1 crowd in the PFL.
The Economic Impact on Saint Paul
The rise of St Thomas MN football has been a quiet boom for the Highland Park neighborhood. Saturday games bring thousands of people into local businesses. It’s transformed the school from a "commuter plus" college into a true destination. The brand recognition of the school has skyrocketed.
When you see the purple "ST" logo on a national broadcast, it changes how people perceive the university. It’s no longer just a local private school; it’s a national player. This has led to increased applications and a more diverse student body, proving that "football as a front porch" for the university actually works if you do it right.
What to Expect Next
The novelty of being the "new kid" in D1 is wearing off. Now, the expectation is consistent winning. The PFL is a competitive league, and teams like South Dakota State (in non-conference play) provide a sobering reminder of how high the ceiling is in the FCS.
Fans should look for St. Thomas to continue upgrading facilities. While O’Shaughnessy is historic, the demands of D1 media and operations are constant. There will be ongoing debates about whether the Tommies should eventually move to a scholarship conference like the Missouri Valley (MVFC). That would be a massive jump—essentially moving from the shallow end to the deep end of the pool where the sharks live—but given their track record, you can't rule it out.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Recruits
To truly keep up with or engage with the program, there are a few practical things to know.
- Watch the Games: Most PFL games, including St. Thomas home games, are streamed on ESPN+. It’s the easiest way to see the jump in speed and athleticism from the D3 days.
- Understand the Eligibility: Keep a close eye on the NCAA transition clock. The Tommies are nearing the end of their "probationary" period where they are excluded from the FCS playoffs. Once that ends, every November game becomes ten times more important.
- Recruiting Realities: If you are a high school athlete looking at the program, don't expect a traditional "full-ride" athletic scholarship. Instead, focus on the Need-Based Aid and Academic Scholarships that St. Thomas uses to build its roster. It’s a different financial path but often leads to the same outcome: a debt-free or low-cost education.
- Attend the Tommie-Johnnie (When it Happens): Even if it’s a non-conference or exhibition-style setup in the future, this is the pinnacle of Minnesota football culture. If it’s on the schedule, buy your tickets months in advance.
- Follow the Trench Play: If you want to know if St. Thomas will win a specific game, look at the offensive and defensive line stats. Their success is built on winning the line of scrimmage, not on 50-yard bombs. If they out-rush their opponent, they win roughly 90% of the time.