MIAC Football: Championship Stakes and Record-Breaking Performances Heading Into Season Finale

Saint John’s secured at least a share of its 38th regular-season conference title with a win over St. Scholastica, according to miacathletics.com, and can take the crown outright with a victory over St. Olaf on Saturday.

The regular season reaches its final week across the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as playoff bids and historic program records hang in the balance. Kickoff under the lights at TCO Stadium in Eagan is set for 6:00 p.m., with the Johnnies already holding the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs.

Bethel stays in the mix for an at-large bid to the national tournament by facing St. Scholastica in Arden Hills at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Royals can also claim a share of the MIAC championship if they win and Saint John’s falls.

Three conference kickoffs get underway at noon on Saturday to open the season finale. Concordia hosts Carleton in Moorhead, Gustavus travels to face Macalester, and Hamline hosts Augsburg in St. Paul with “The Hammer” on the line.

Saint John’s enters the weekend ranked No. 3 in both the AFCA Top 25 Poll and the D3football.com Top 25 Poll released on November 8, while Bethel sits at No. 16 in the coaches poll and No. 14 in the D3football.com rankings. Concordia received votes in both polls.

The NCAA will unveil its 40-team championship bracket during a live selection show at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, on NCAA.com. Saint John’s claims one of 29 automatic bids, and Bethel looks to secure one of 11 at-large selections determined by the NCAA Power Index.

Bethel senior quarterback Cooper Drews became the program’s all-time leader in passing yards against Carleton, pushing his career total to 9,245 yards and surpassing Jaran Roste’s mark of 9,051, miacathletics.com reported. Carleton senior wide receiver Tyler Dimond set a program record with 20 receptions against Bethel, breaking the previous mark of 17 set by Nathan Streiff in 2023.

Gustavus collected a program-record 10 sacks against Augsburg, breaking an eight-sack record previously achieved in 1995 and 1997. Gustavus senior defensive end Max Olson set a new program mark with 23 career sacks, eclipsing Chad Zemple’s mark of 22 that stood since 1995.

Saint John’s senior quarterback Trey Feeney leads all levels of NCAA football with 3,640 passing yards and 42 passing touchdowns this season, leading Division III in total offense at 401.3 yards per game and completion percentage at 79.3.