What Is 1956 St. Thomas Tommies football team

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Last updated: April 14, 2026

Quick Answer: The 1956 St. Thomas Tommies football team represented the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota during the 1956 college football season, finishing with a 5-3 overall record under head coach Frank Deig. They competed in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), where they posted a 4-2 conference record.

Key Facts

The 1956 St. Thomas Tommies football team had a 5-3 overall record
They played in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC)
Their conference record was 4-2 in the 1956 season
Frank Deig was the head coach during the 1956 season
The team represented the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota

Overview

The 1956 St. Thomas Tommies football team represented the University of St. Thomas, located in St. Paul, Minnesota, during the 1956 college football season. Competing in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), the Tommies demonstrated consistent performance under head coach Frank Deig, who led the program with a focus on disciplined play and team cohesion.

This season marked another chapter in the long-standing football tradition at St. Thomas, which began in the early 20th century. While not a national powerhouse at the time, the Tommies remained competitive within their conference and helped develop student-athletes through structured competition and academic integration.

The team finished the 1956 season with a 5-3 overall record, showing improvement over previous years and maintaining a winning percentage of .625.
Their conference record was 4-2 in the MIAC, placing them among the top half of the league standings despite tough competition from rivals like St. John's.
Frank Deig served as head coach, continuing his tenure that began in the early 1950s and emphasized fundamentals, conditioning, and sportsmanship.
Home games were played at O'Shaughnessy Stadium, a campus facility that seated several thousand fans and provided a strong home-field advantage.
The Tommies did not participate in any postseason bowl games, as NCAA Division III-level postseason formats were not yet established in the same way as today.

How It Works

The structure of college football in 1956 revolved around conference play, regional rivalries, and limited national oversight compared to modern systems. Teams like the St. Thomas Tommies operated within defined athletic conferences and followed schedules set by league agreements, with minimal media exposure or scholarship programs.

MIAC Membership:The University of St. Thomas was a founding member of the MIAC, which governed scheduling, eligibility, and championship criteria for small liberal arts colleges in Minnesota.
Amateur Status:Players were strictly amateur, with no athletic scholarships offered, aligning with the NCAA College Division standards of the era.
Game Format:Each game consisted of four 15-minute quarters, following standard NCAA rules, with scoring and officiating consistent across divisions.
Season Length:The 1956 season included eight scheduled games, typical for small-college teams, balancing academics and athletics.
Coaching Staff:Frank Deig led a small staff of assistants, managing all aspects from play-calling to player development without modern support systems.
Player Recruitment:Athletes were recruited locally, primarily from Minnesota high schools, with no national scouting networks involved.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a comparison of the 1956 St. Thomas Tommies with other MIAC teams and national leaders in college football that year:

Team	Overall Record	Conference Record	Head Coach	Postseason
St. Thomas Tommies	5-3	4-2	Frank Deig	No
St. John's Johnnies	6-1-1	5-0-1	John Gagliardi	No
Oregon State Beavers	7-3-1	5-1-1	Amos Alonzo Stagg Jr.	Liberty Bowl
Oklahoma Sooners	10-1	6-0	Bud Wilkinson	Cotton Bowl
Michigan State Spartans	7-2	4-2	Duffy Daugherty	Rose Bowl

This table highlights how the Tommies compared to both conference rivals and national programs. While St. John's dominated the MIAC, St. Thomas remained competitive. Nationally, teams like Oklahoma and Michigan State operated at a higher level with postseason access and greater resources.

Why It Matters

The 1956 season contributes to the historical fabric of St. Thomas athletics and reflects the evolution of college football at the small-college level. Understanding this era provides context for how programs developed before modern scholarship systems and national rankings.

Laid groundwork for future MIAC competitiveness, helping shape St. Thomas’s identity in collegiate sports over subsequent decades.
Highlighted regional talent development, proving Minnesota could produce skilled players even without major recruiting.
Preserved amateur ideals, as the team operated without athletic scholarships, emphasizing education-first values.
Strengthened school spirit and alumni engagement, with games serving as key social events on campus.
Provided data for historical record-keeping, allowing modern researchers to track team progress over time.
Influenced coaching legacies, as figures like Frank Deig helped establish long-term program standards.

Though overshadowed by larger programs, the 1956 St. Thomas Tommies represent an important piece of Minnesota’s college sports heritage and the broader narrative of mid-20th-century athletics.