ARDEN HILLS, Minn.—Bethel University kicks off the 2016 season on Saturday, Sept. 3, in Dubuque, Iowa, where they'll face the University of Dubuque, who captured the 2015 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) title. The matchup between the Royals (0-0, 0-0 MIAC) and Spartans (0-0, 0-0 IIAC) will be the first meeting between these two teams, but BU's 11th game against an IIAC opponent since 2010. 

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Bethel has amassed a 19-3 record on season-opening games dating back to the 1994 campaign. The Royals are led by Head Football Coach Steve Johnson, who enters his 28th season at the helm. Johnson ranks third among active NCAA Division III coaches in all-time wins with a career record of 197-88-1 (.691). In his 27 seasons with BU, Johnson and his staff have helped the Royals win five MIAC championships, appear in eight NCAA Playoffs, and win two NCAA West Region crowns.