University of St. Thomas Athletics
Tommies picked to finish third in PFL Preseason Poll
7/28/2025 1:10:00 PM | Football
ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of St. Thomas football team is once again expected to be one of the best in the Pioneer Football League (PFL). The Tommies were picked to finish third in the conference Preseason Poll, receiving 72 total points and one first place vote from the PFL head coaches.
St. Thomas took the PFL by storm when it joined the conference in 2021, earning top-3 finishes in each of its first four seasons of Division I play. After winning their first conference title in 2022, the Tommies finished second in the PFL standings in 2023 and were in the hunt for a conference title entering the final weekend of the regular season. The same was true in 2024, as St. Thomas finished in a tie for third place thanks to a 4-0 start in PFL play. During that stretch, the Tommies earned marquee wins over San Diego, the 2025 PFL favorite, Marist and Stetson before capping the season with a dominant 32-9 win over Dayton.
The Tommies have only suffered six losses since joining the PFL, posting a conference record of 26-6 over the last four seasons. The San Diego Torero were selected to win the conference in 2025, receiving five first place votes and 94 total points, while back-to-back championship Drake was selected to finish second despite losing its head coach in the off season.
Behind St. Thomas, Butler was picked to finish fourth, while Dayton and Morehead State round out the top-6 standings in the conference. Both Morehead State and Presbyterian earned first place votes from the PFL coaches.
St. Thomas will once again be a strong contender for the PFL title thanks to a core group of returners on the defensive side of the ball. Seniors Ryan Sever (Edina, Minn. / Benilde-St. Margaret) and Den Juette (Fenwick, Ill. / Fenwick) will lead the charge for the Tommies, who lost 19 seniors to graduation following the 2024 season. Tight ends Patrick Wagner (Crofton, Md. / Archbishop Spaulding) and Matthew Rink (Lincoln, Neb. / Southwest) will look to be more involved in the offense this upcoming season, as St. Thomas looks to fill the holes up front by Alec Rasmussen and Hope Adebayo.
The Tommies will be postseason eligible for the first time in the Division I era after the department was instated as a full Division I member in mid-June. Should St. Thomas win the 2025 PFL title, the Tommies will be eligible to compete in the FCS Championship after earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
St. Thomas will officially kick off the 2025 season on Thursday, August 28 when the team hosts the Lindenwood Lions for the first time in the DI era. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at O'Shaughnessy Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota, and single game tickets are now on sale at www.tommiesports.com/tickets.
