The St. Procopius Academy football team played its first game against Downers Grove High School on Thanksgiving Day, 1917. At first some faculty members did not approve of American football, but it became respected on campus in the 1920s under the direction of Rev. Benedict Bauer. Bauer served as Athletic Director until 1927 while also coaching basketball, baseball, and football, and planned the construction of a new gymnasium in 1925. The college's varsity baseball team won conference championships in 1924 and 1925, and the football team defeated the University of Notre Dame freshman team in 1925.