The St. Francis (Ill.) Saints at St. Thomas Tommies football game has been canceled due to COVID-19, it was announced on Thursday.
The two schools were scheduled to meet at O’Shaughnessy Stadium in Saint Paul, Minn., in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. The game was canceled due to “…COVID-19 health and safety protocols.”
St. Thomas will be playing their first season as a member of the Pioneer Football League in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Tommies moved directly from Division III to the FCS following their removal from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) because of “competitive” advantages.
“Our football program deserves great credit for its approach after a very long layoff between games,” St. Thomas vice president and director of athletics Phil Esten said. “Our players and coaches have a 100-percent vaccination rate as a team. They continue to do everything they can to prepare and put themselves in a position to have a successful fall season. Coach Glenn Caruso continues stressing the importance of remaining physically and mentally ready to compete.”
Per their release, St. Thomas is searching for a replacement opponent to come to O’Shaughnessy Stadium on Sept. 4 or on a date later in the season. St. Thomas currently has an open date on Oct. 23.
If the Tommies are unable to find an opponent for Sept. 4, they will open the fall 2021 season on Saturday, Sept. 11 on the road against the Michigan Tech Huskies.