| Bethel Royals football | |
|---|---|
| First season | 1947 |
| Athletic director | Greg Peterson |
| Head coach | Mike McElroy 2nd season, 11–3 (.786) |
| Stadium | Royal Stadium (capacity: 8,000) |
| Year built | 1995 |
| Field surface | Turf |
| Location | Arden Hills, Minnesota |
| Conference | MIAC |
| All-time record | 360–332–7 (.520) |
| Playoff appearances | (13) 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Playoff record | 16–13 |
| Conference titles | (6) 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2023 |
| Consensus All-Americans | 18 |
| Colors | Navy blue and gold [1] |
| Website | bethelroyalsfb |
The Bethel Royals football program represents Bethel University of Arden Hills, Minnesota in college football. Bethel competes at the NCAA Division III level as members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The head coach of the Royals is Mike McElroy, who has held the position since 2024.
Bethel plays its home games at Royal Stadium, located on the campus in Arden Hills, Minnesota. Royal Stadium was built in 1995 and renovated in 2001 and 2021.
Bethel has had 15 head coaches since organized football started in 1947 adopting the nickname "Royals". The winningest coach in program history was Steve Johnson with a 252–110–1 career record. He is ranked No. 33 in all time wins as a head coach in NCAA college football. On April 2, 2016, he was inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Hall of Fame. He retired after the 2023 season.
Mike McElroy was named the head football coach for the 2024 season. McElroy served as the Royals’ defensive coordinator for the previous seven years after joining the program in 2017.
Bethel's biggest conference rival is Saint John's University. Bethel defeated No. 2 ranked Saint John's 28–24 on September 24, 2022 in Arden Hills. Bethel finished the 2022 season ranked No. 5 in the country. Bethel won 7 of the 8 meetings against Saint John's between 2006 and 2013.
Bethel has won 6 MIAC conference championships (2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2023). Bethel has appeared in 13 NCAA playoff appearances (2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). Bethel's deepest playoff run was appearing in the NCAA Division III playoff semifinals (2007, 2010).
The Royals have made thirteen appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, with a combined record of 16–13.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | First Round | Pacific Lutheran | L, 13–41 |
| 2001 | First Round | Wisconsin–Stevens Point | L, 27–37 |
| 2003 | First Round | Wartburg | L, 7–21 |
| 2006 | First Round | Wisconsin–La Crosse | L, 21–28 |
| 2007 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Concordia Wisconsin Wisconsin–Eau Claire Central (IA) Mount Union | W, 28–0 W, 21–12 W, 27–13 L, 14–62 |
| 2010 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Wartburg Wheaton (IL) St. Thomas (MN) Mount Union | W, 28–20 W, 15–0 W, 12–7 L, 14–34 |
| 2012 | First Round Second Round | Concordia Chicago Wisconsin–Oshkosh | W, 24–23 L, 14–37 |
| 2013 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | St. Scholastica Wartburg North Central (IL) | W, 70–13 W, 34–27 L, 17–41 |
| 2018 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Wartburg North Central (IL) Wisconsin–Whitewater | W, 41–14 W, 27–24 L, 12–26 |
| 2021 | First Round | Central (IA) | L, 35–61 |
| 2022 | First Round Second Round | Wheaton (IL) Linfield Mary Hardin–Baylor | W, 34–32 W, 30–13 L, 28–41 |
| 2023 | First Round | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L, 14–42 |
| 2024 | First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals | Coe Lake Forest Wartburg Susquehanna | W, 31–26 W, 48–21 W, 24–14 L, 21–24 |
| Name | Year | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Nelson | 1963 | Running Back |
| Rey Sheperd | 1963 | Lineman |
| Kevin Hallstrom | 1976 | Defensive Back |
| Trent Anderson | 1990 | Quarterback |
| Jack Negren | 1990 | Wide Receiver |
| Vincent Hooper | 1993 | Wide Receiver |
| Jeremy Tvedt | 1996 | Running Back |
| Chico Rowland | 1999 | Offensive Tackle |
| Ben Matthews | 2000 | Cornerback |
| Mike Johnson | 2001 | Running Back |
| Phil Porta | 2006 | Running Back |
| Brandon Carr | 2007 | Defensive Back |
| Seth Mathis | 2012, 2013 | Linebacker |
| Dawson Brown | 2018 | Defensive Back |
| Kyle Kilgore | 2018 | Defensive End |
| Nate Farm | 2021 | Defensive Back |
| Travis Sinclair | 2022 | Offensive Line |
| Matt Jung | 2024 | Defensive Back |
| Caden DeWall | 2024 | Defensive End |
| Name | Year | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Eric Runyan | 1998 | Wide Receiver |
| Chico Rowland | 1999 | Outside Linebacker |
| Josh Gingerich | 2002 | Outside Linebacker |
| Matt Wassink | 2004 | Linebacker |
| A.J. Parnell | 2005 | Quarterback |
| Reid Velo | 2009 | Wide Receiver |
| J.D. Mehlhorn | 2013 | Safety |
| Joshua Perkins | 2014 | Offensive Tackle |
| Matt Mehlhorn | 2015 | Defensive Back |
| Drew Neuville | 2016 | Tight End |
| Josh Dalki | 2017 | Inside Linebacker |
| Kyle Kilgore | 2018 | Defensive End |
| Danny Muñoz | 2019 | Offensive Line |
| Mike Delich | 2020 | Linebacker/Running Back |
| Jaran Roste | 2021 | Quarterback |
| Matthew Feldick | 2022 | Defensive Back |
| Evan Ginter | 2023 | Offensive Line |
| Aaron Ellingson | 2024 | Running Back |
| Name | Year of Graduation | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Rey Sheperd | 1962 | Offensive Tackle |
| Jim Nelson | 1964 | Running Back |
| Duane Gibson | 1966 | Linebacker |
| Don Land | 1966 | Running Back |
| Al Selander | 1967 | Quarterback |
| Terry Karlsgodt | 1975 | Linebacker |
| Willie Gardner | 1976 | Running Back |
| Craig Hansen | 1976 | Offensive Tackle |
| Kevin Hallstrom | 1977 | Defensive Back |
| John Holine | 1977 | Quarterback |
| Kim Walker | 1977 | Wide Receiver |
| Mike Anderson | 1978 | Linebacker |
| Ken Cooper | 1982 | Wide Receiver |
| Jimmy Miller | 1983 | Defensive Back |
| Bryan Johnson | 1984 | Wide Receiver |
| Trent Anderson | 1991 | Quarterback |
| Chub Reynolds | Head Coach |