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Minnesota Golden Gophers

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Minnesota Golden Gophers
Logo
UniversityUniversity of Minnesota
ConferenceBig Ten
DivisionDivision I
Athletic directorJoel Maturi
LocationMinneapolis, Minnesota
Varsity teams23
Football stadiumTCF Bank Stadium
ArenaWilliams Arena
Baseball stadiumSiebert Field
Other venuesMariucci Arena, Ridder Arena
MascotGoldy Gopher
NicknameGolden Gophers
Fight songMinnesota Rouser
ColorsMaroon and Gold
   
Websitewww.gophersports.com

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and wrestling. Women's-specific sports include rowing, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Joel Maturi has been the Athletic Director since 2002.

In men's and women's ice hockey, the Gophers belong to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. In all other sports, they belong to the Big Ten Conference. Most of the facilities that the teams use for training and competitive play are located on the East Bank of the Minneapolis campus. There are arenas for men and women basketball (Williams Arena) as well as hockey (Mariucci Arena and Ridder Arena). The Gopher football team began playing at TCF Bank Stadium in Fall 2009.

Cheerleaders and the Dance Team are also part of the university's athletic department; they are present at events for basketball, hockey, football, and volleyball.

During the 2006–2007 academic year, the Golden Gophers wrestling team won the NCAA national championship and the Big Ten team title. The Golden Gophers also won conference championships in men's hockey, men's golf, women's rowing, men's swimming and diving, and women's indoor track and field.

National championships

Notes: With the exception of football, national championships are awarded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The NCAA itself does not award a championship for Division I-A football. The NCAA began awarding national championships for men's basketball in 1939; previous championships were retroactively awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation. The NCAA began awarding national championships for men's ice hockey in 1948; previous championships were awarded by the Amateur Athletic Union and by the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The NCAA began awarding national championships for women's ice hockey in 2001; previous championships were awarded by the American Women's College Hockey Alliance.

Traditions

Maroon and Gold

In 1880, the University of Minnesota was preparing for spring graduation. For the previous 29 years, different graduation colors were used every ceremony. In spring 1880, President Folwell began a tradition of common school colors at the University. He asked an English instructor, Mrs. Augusta Smith, to select proper colors to use for graduation ribbons and other occasions. She chose maroon and gold, which made a favorable impression on the students and faculty in 1880. As the years passed and without any kind of formal action, maroon and gold became the official school colors.

File:GoldyGopher.png
Goldy Gopher, team mascot.

The "Golden" Gophers

The Gopher mascot is a tradition as old as the state. Minnesota was tabbed the “Gopher State” in 1857 after a satirizing cartoon, depicting nine Gophers with the heads of local politicians pulling a locomotive, was published.[1] The story was over legislative action for a $5 million railroad proposal in western Minnesota. Later, the University picked up the nickname.

The “Golden” adjective has not always been a part of the Gopher nickname. During the 1930s, the Gophers wore gold jerseys and pants. Legendary KSTP radio announcer Halsey Hall coined the term “Golden Gophers” in reference to the team’s all-gold attire on the field. From 1932 through 1941, Minnesota compiled an impressive record, losing only 12 games and winning seven Big Ten titles and five national championships—a true “golden” decade of Gopher football.

School songs

School songs for the university include Minnesota Rouser, Minnesota March, Go Gopher Victory, Our Minnesota, Minnesota Fight, Hail! Minnesota, and the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Football

Main article: Minnesota Golden Gophers football
1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960
1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1915, 1927, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1960, 1967
1892, 1893
  • Bowl Games (11):
Rose – 1961, 1962
Hall of Fame – 1977
Independence – 1985
Liberty – 1986
Sun – 1999, 2003
MicronPC.com – 2000
Music City – 2002, 2004, 2005
Insight – 2006, 2008, 2009

Traveling trophies

Men's basketball

Main article: Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball
1906, 1907, 1911, 1917, 1919, 1937, 1972, 1982, 1997
  • NCAA Tournament appearances (10):
1972, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009
  • Sweet 16 appearances (4):
1982, 1989, 1990, 1997
  • Elite 8 appearances (2):
1990, 1997
  • Final Four appearances (1):
1997
  • NIT appearances (12):
1973, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008
  • NIT Championships (2):
1993, 1998

Note: A 1997 Big Ten regular season championship, NCAA Tournament appearances in 1994, 1995, and 1997 (Final Four), and NIT appearances in 1996 and 1998 (Championship) were vacated due to NCAA sanctions.[2][3]

Women's basketball

Main article: Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances (7):
1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
  • Sweet 16 Appearances (3):
2003, 2004, 2005
  • Elite 8 Appearances (1):
2004
  • Final Four Appearances (1):
2004

Men's ice hockey

Main article: Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey
1929[4], 1940[5], 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003
1953, 1954, 1970, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2006, 2007
1961, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2007
  • NCAA Frozen Four Appearances (19):
1953, 1954, 1961, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2005

Women's ice hockey

2000 (AWCHA), 2004, 2005
  • WCHA Regular Season Championships (4):
2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
  • WCHA Tournament Championships (3):
2002, 2004, 2005
  • NCAA Frozen Four Appearances (5):
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Baseball

1956, 1960, 1964
  • Big Ten Regular Season Championships (21):
1933, 1935, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
  • Big Ten Tournament Championships (7):
1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2004

Men's cross country

  • Big Ten Team Championships (4):
1909, 1914, 1964, 1969

Women's cross country

Women's Cross Country Team runs the OZ invitational on the Les Bolstad Golf Course.
  • Big Ten Team Championships (2):
2007, 2008

Golf

Gymnastics

Main article: Minnesota Golden Gophers gymnastics

Women's rowing

  • Big Ten Championships (1):
2007

Women's soccer

  • Big Ten Championships (3):
1995, 1997, 2008

Softball

  • Big Ten Regular Season Championships (3):
1986, 1988, 1991
  • Big Ten Tournament Championships (1):
1999

Spirit Squads

Main article: Minnesota Golden Gophers Spirit Squads

Dance Team

  • National Championships (4):
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Swimming

Men's tennis

  • Big Ten Team Championships (14):
1910, 1911, 1912, 1918, 1932, 1933, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995

Men's track

Women's track

Volleyball

Main article: Minnesota Golden Gophers volleyball
2002
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances (14):
1989, 1993, 1996-97, 1999, 2000-08
  • Sweet 16 Appearances (9):
1989, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
  • Final Four Appearances (3):
2003, 2004, 2009

Wrestling

Main article: Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestling
2001, 2002, 2007
  • Big Ten Team Championships (12):
1910, 1912, 1913, 1941, 1957, 1959, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007

Notable athletes and coaches

Baseball

Basketball

Men's

Women's

Football

Golf

Gymnastics

Hockey

Men's

Women's

Track and Field

Men's

NCAA Champions Indoor
NCAA Champions Outdoor

Current Roster of the Minnesota Gophers Track & Field team 2009-2010

Wrestling

Athletic directors

  • 1922-30 Fred Leuhring
  • 1930-32 Herbert O. (Fritz) Crisler
  • 1932-41 Frank G. McCormick
  • 1941-45 Lou Keller (acting)
  • 1945-50 Frank G. McCormick
  • 1950-63 Ike J. Armstrong
  • 1963-71 Marshall J. Ryman
  • 1971-88 Paul Giel (men's)
  • 1974-76 Belmar Gunderson (women's)
  • 1976-81 Vivian M. Barfield (women's)
  • 1981-82 M. Catherine Mathison (women's interim)
  • 1982-88 Merrily Dean Baker (women's)
  • 1988-89 Holger Christiansen (men's interim)
  • 1988-2002 Chris Voelz (women's)
  • 1989-91 Rick Bay (men's)
  • 1991-92 Dan Meinert (men's interim)
  • 1992-95 McKinley Boston (men's)
  • 1995-99 Mark Dienhart (men's)
  • 1999-2002 Tom Moe (men's)
  • 2002-present Joel Maturi

From 1974 to 2002, there were separate athletic departments for men and women's sports.

Facilities

References

  1. ^ "Minnesota State Symbols". Minnesota State Legislature. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2007-02-08.
  2. ^ "2006-07 Big Ten Conference Records Book". Big Ten Conference. 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
  3. ^ "University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Public Infractions Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2000-10-24. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
  4. ^ "Gopher Hockey History 1928-1929". Gopher Hockey History. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  5. ^ "Gopher Hockey History 1939-1940". Gopher Hockey History. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
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