ESPN heading to St. John's

ESPN will broadcast "SportsCenter'' from St. John's Clemens Stadium on the morning of next Saturday's game between the Johnnies and St. Thomas. The show will run from 6 a.m. until 8 a.m.

The network made the announcement Saturday morning.

According to a news release on the St. John's website: "ESPN is expected to arrive in Collegeville Thursday night, Sept. 24, and construct its set throughout the day Friday, Sept. 25. The "SportsCenter on the Road'' bus is a mobile production facility that carries the equipment needed for doing a SportsCenter broadcast at a remote location."

The show is the kickoff to ESPN's college football coverage, which also includes "College GameDay,'' which also broadcasts from remote sites. GameDay has aired from North Dakota State twice in the past.

According to the St. John's website, the stadium will open at 5 a.m. and then be cleared before the 1 p.m. game, which will match two of the top teams in the MIAC in a game that typically draws overflow crowds.