College Football Rivals Volunteer Together Before Game at Metrodome

About 150 football players from Northwestern College in St. Paul and Malone University in Canton, Ohio together volunteered for The Salvation Army Nov. 21 just hours before their biggest game of the year: the 12th annual Victory Bowl, held at the Metrodome.

The players sidelined their rivalry for the afternoon by helping people in need through a host of activities: making Christmas cards, data entry, sorting donated groceries, fielding phone calls from families seeking Christmas assistance, and more.

Both teams are part of the National Christian College Athletic Association, which promotes outreach and ministry for intercollegiate athletic competitions.

“It’s a tradition to do a service project before (the Victory Bowl),” said Northwestern head coach Kirk Talley, whose team beat Malone 49-44 and ended the regular season with an impressive 8-2 record. “We’re all happy to help The Salvation Army.”

View photos of the players volunteering.