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Homecoming week a smashing, sun-splashed success at CSB and SJU

Frank Rajkowski

September 29, 2025 • 2 min read

Sunshine, socializing and celebration

Homecoming Saturday brought all that and more at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.

A raucous crowd of 8,347 packed the tailgate lot and Clemens Stadium where the SJU football team – ranked No. 4 nationally in Division III – improved to 3-0 this season with a 63-0 victory over Augsburg Saturday afternoon (Sept. 27).

A large crowd watches a football game in a stadium. Cheerleaders with red pom-poms stand in the foreground, and players are gathered on the field near an end zone. Trees and a building are visible in the background under a clear blue sky.
A group of excited young fans in colorful attire smile and cheer at an outdoor stadium during a sunny day, with a football game and a crowd in the background.

And the winning continued later that afternoon when the CSB volleyball team – the defending MIAC tournament champion – upped its record to 9-3 with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-18) victory over Hamline on Alumnae Night at Claire Lynch Hall.

A women’s volleyball player in a white and red jersey (#6) jumps to spike the ball over the net, while two opponents in maroon jerseys attempt to block. Teammates and spectators watch intently in a gymnasium.
A group of enthusiastic teenage girls in casual shorts and sweatshirts cheer and clap in bleachers at a school event, with a red "Semi-Finalist 1990" banner hanging in the background.

That same night, 10 Johnnie athletic greats took their place in the SJU Hall of Honor during the annual induction dinner and ceremony, which drew a crowd of around 270 in Guild Hall. And a crowd also gathered on the CSB mall to enjoy food trucks and live music from Guytano at this year’s Johnnie Bennie Bash.

A large group of people gather outdoors in the evening, some sitting at picnic tables and others forming a line at a brightly lit ice cream truck parked on the grass. Trees and a building are in the background.

Saturday’s festivities capped Johnnie Bennie Week on the two campuses, which also featured a week-long medallion hunt, a sand volleyball tournament at CSB, a bean bag tournament and s’mores in the Seton Courtyard at SJU, coffee trucks and much more.

And the fun didn’t end Saturday. Sunday afternoon brought the third annual President’s Fishing Classic on Lake Sagatagan, followed by the annual Mass on the Grass under a clear and starry late-September Sunday night sky.