St. Olaf football team to tour Norway and Denmark
Thirty-five years after the St. Olaf College football team’s inaugural visit to Norway, the team is returning for the first time in 2024.
Following Commencement Weekend in late May, the majority of the players and several coaches will retrace the steps of the 1986-87 team by visiting Bergen and Oslo. They will then take an overnight boat to Denmark for an additional taste of Scandinavia. While in Norway, the St. Olaf football team will play the Oslo Vikings, a semi-pro team.
The goal of the trip is to offer players a unique opportunity, broaden their perspective, and expand the way they participate in the world around them. It’s also a chance for players to share their love for football with Norwegian fans. They will play the Oslo Vikings, one of 14 American football teams in Norway, on Saturday, June 1. The Oslo Vikings were founded in 1986 as the Westside Vikings, and they first played St. Olaf when the Oles visited Norway in 1987. The Vikings then returned the favor and visited St. Olaf in 1988.
This trip is one of the many ways that St. Olaf Athletics provides student-athletes with more than simply the opportunity to compete. During their time on the Hill, Ole student-athletes form lifelong friendships, gain valuable skills, and continue to play the sport(s) they love, all while receiving a world-class education.
“Our student-athlete experience is our priority,” says St. Olaf Athletic Director Ryan Bowles. “St. Olaf Athletics is an extension of the classroom and provides our student-athletes the opportunity to learn and grow together and prepares them for a successful future. It is our goal that each of our student-athletes look back on their time on the Hill with fond memories of the impact being an Ole student-athlete had on their lives.”
“St. Olaf Athletics is an extension of the classroom and provides our student-athletes the opportunity to learn and grow together and prepares them for a successful future.”
St. Olaf Athletic Director Ryan Bowles
Head Football Coach James Kilian notes that the Ole football team works hard together and demonstrates incredible dedication. “Even though the Norway trip is several months away, our players are looking forward to traveling to Norway with their teammates for a trip of a lifetime,” he says.
St. Olaf alumni, families, and friends have the opportunity to travel alongside the team by joining an Alumni and Family Travel companion tour. St. Olaf Assistant Football Coach for Running Backs Eric Pulley will host the companion tour, which will offer an overview of the history of Norway and the opportunity to watch the Ole football team play the Oslo Vikings. Registration will close March 15, 2024.