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 will move into 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.

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National championships

Football (6): :1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960 Men's Basketball (2): :1902, 1919 Men's Ice Hockey (7): :1929, 1940, 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003 Women's Ice Hockey (3): :2000, 2004, 2005

Baseball (3): :1956, 1960, 1964 Men's Golf (1): :2002 Men's Outdoor Track and Field (1): :1948 Wrestling (3): :2001, 2002, 2007

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.

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

• National Championships (6):

:1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960

• Big Ten Conference Championships (18):

:1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1915, 1927, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1960, 1967

• Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest championships (2):

:1892, 1893

• Bowl Games (11):

:Rose – 1961, 1962

• Bowl game victories: Rose, 1985 Independence, Music City, Sun, Music City

Traveling trophies

• The Little Brown Jug – Accidentally left in Minnesota back in 1903 by Michigan coach Fielding Yost, it is painted with the victories of the two teams.
• Floyd of Rosedale – Since 1935 the Gophers and the Iowa Hawkeyes have fought to win this bronze pig.
• Paul Bunyan's Axe – Minnesota and the Wisconsin Badgers have passed this trophy back and forth since 1948, although it records the two teams' encounters since 1890.
• Governor's Victory Bell – The newest of the four trophies, the bell was created to commemorate the 1993 entrance of Penn State's Nittany Lions into the Big Ten.

Men's basketball

• Big Ten Regular Season Championships (9):

: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

• 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

• NCAA Tournament Appearances (7):

:1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008

• Sweet 16 Appearances (3):

:2003, 2004, 2005

• Final Four Appearances (1):

:2004

Men's ice hockey

• National Championships (2 pre-NCAA, 5 NCAA):

:1929 ^[4], 1940 ^[5], 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003

• WCHA Regular Season Championships (12):

:1953, 1954, 1970, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2006, 2007

• WCHA Tournament Championships (14):

: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

• National Championships (3):

: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

• National Championships (3):

: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

• Big Ten Team Championships (2):

:2007, 2008

Golf

Men's golf National Championships (1): :2002 Big Ten Team Championships (7): :1929, 1938, 1963, 1972, 2002, 2003, 2007

Women's golf Big Ten Team Championships (1): :1989

Gymnastics

Men's gymnastics Big Ten Team Championships (21): :1903, 1907, 1910, 1925, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995

Women's gymnastics Big Ten Team Championships (5): :1988, 1989, 1991, 1998, 2006

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

Dance Team

• National Championships (4):

:2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Swimming

Men's swimming Big Ten Team Championships (9): :1922, 1926, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007

Women's swimming Big Ten Team Championships (3): :1999, 2000, 2008

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

Outdoor track and field National Championships (1): :1948 Big Ten Team Championships (5): :1949, 1968, 1998, 1999, 2003

Indoor track and field Big Ten Team Championships (1): :1998, 2009

Women's track

Outdoor track and field Big Ten Team Championships (1): :2006

Indoor track and field Big Ten Team Championships (2): :2007, 2008

Volleyball

• Big Ten Championships (1):

: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 (2):

:2003, 2004

Wrestling

• National Championships (3):

: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

• John Anderson
• Brent Gates
• Jack Hannahan
• Paul Molitor
• Denny Neagle
• Greg Olson
• Glen Perkins
• Robb Quinlan
• Dick Siebert - coach
• Terry Steinbach
• Dave Winfield (also played basketball at Minnesota)
• Dan Wilson

Basketball

Men's

• Ron Behagen - Former NBA player
• Walter Bond - Former NBA player, and motivational speaker
• Randy Breuer - Former NBA player
• Jim Brewer (basketball) - Former NBA player
• Willie Burton - Former NBA player
• Archie Clark - Former NBA player
• Louis 'Doc' Cooke, coach (1897-1924)
• Bud Grant - Former NBA player, NFL player and longtime head coach of the Minnesota Vikings
• Clem Haskins - coach
• Lou Hudson - Former NBA player
• Kris Humphries - NBA player
• Bobby Jackson - NBA player
• Mark Landsberger - Former NBA player
• Voshon Lenard - Former NBA player
• Kevin McHale - Basketball Hall of Famer and current head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves
• Mark Olberding - Former NBA player
• Joel Przybilla - Center, Portland Trail Blazers
• Flip Saunders - NBA head coach
• Tubby Smith - Current head coach
• Mychal Thompson - Former NBA player
• Trent Tucker - Former NBA player
• Ray Williams (basketball) - Former NBA player

Women's

• Janel McCarville - Center, New York Liberty
• Linda Roberts
• Carol Ann Shudlick
• Lindsay Whalen - Point guard, Connecticut Sun
• Emily Fox
• Linda Hill-MacDonald - Former head coach

Football

Players Asad Abdul-Khaliq - Quarterback, Chicago Rush Marion Barber Jr. - Former NFL running back Marion Barber III - Running back, Dallas Cowboys Bobby Bell - Pro Football Hall of Famer Phil Bengtson - Former NFL head coach Bernie Bierman - Member of the College Football Hall of Fame Jack Brewer - Safety, Arizona Cardinals Win Brockmeyer - Former high school football head coach Tom Brown- 1960 Outland Trophy winner, member of the College Football Hall of Fame Gino Cappelletti - Former AFL Wide Receiver/Placekicker, AFL all-time leading scorer Tyrone Carter - Defensive back, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1999 Jim Thorpe Award winner Tony Dungy - Quarterback for U in the mid 1970s Former NFL safety, current head coach of the Indianapolis Colts Carl Eller - Pro Football Hall of Famer Greg Eslinger - Center, Denver Broncos, 2005 Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy winner George Gibson - Former NFL offensive guard and head coach Paul Giel - Member of the College Football Hall of Fame also was U's AD from 1972 to 1988 and played Major League Baseball Bud Grant - Pro Football Hall of Famer Ben Hamilton - Offensive guard, Denver Broncos Mike Hohensee - Head coach, Chicago Rush Herb Joesting - Member of the College Football Hall of Fame Laurence Maroney - Running back, New England Patriots Bobby Marshall - One of the first two African-American to play in the NFL, member of the College Football Hall of Fame Karl Mecklenburg - Former NFL linebacker Bronko Nagurski - Pro Football Hall of Famer (charter member), member of the College Football Hall of Fame Leo Nomellini - Pro Football Hall of Famer Derek Rackley - Tight end, Atlanta Falcons Darrell Reid - Defensive Tackle, Indianapolis Colts Karon Riley - Defensive end, Washington Redskins Mark Setterstrom - Offensive guard, St. Louis Rams Bruce Smith - 1941 Heisman Trophy winner, member of the College Football Hall of Fame Sandy Stephens - First African-American major-college All-American quarterback Thomas Tapeh - Former NFL Fullback Ryan Thelwell - Wide Receiver, British Columbia Lions Rick Upchurch - Former NFL wide receiver Ben Utecht - Tight end, Cincinnati Bengals Bud Wilkinson - Member of the College Football Hall of Fame

Coaches Bernie Bierman Fritz Crisler William Heffelfinger Wesley Fesler George Hauser Lou Holtz Glen Mason William H. Spaulding Clarence Spears Jim Wacker Murray Warmath Henry L. Williams Tim Brewster

Golf

• Tom Lehman
• James McLean

Gymnastics

• Marie Roethlisberger
• John Roethlisberger

Hockey

Men's

• Keith Ballard
• Herb Brooks
• Neal Broten
• Kris Chucko
• Ben Clymer
• Bob Johnson
• Trent Klatt
• Jordan Leopold
• John Mariucci
• John Mayasich
• Ryan Potulny
• Paul Martin
• Thomas Vanek
• Phil Kessel
• Johnny Pohl
• Jeff Taffe
• Blake Wheeler

Women's

• Natalie Darwitz
• Krissy Wendell

Track and Field

Men's

• Hassan Mead

NCAA Champions Indoor

• Ron Backes 1986 (Shot Put, 68-11 1/4)
• Martin Eriksson 1993 (Pole Vault, 18-0 1/2)
• Vesa Rantanen 1998 (Pole Vault, 18-2 1/2)

NCAA Champions Outdoor

• Jack DeField 1942 (Pole Vault, 14-1)
• Bob Fitch 1942 (Discus, 164-8 1/2)
• Jack DeField 1943 (Pole Vault, 14-1)
• Fortune Gordien 1946 (Discus, 153-10 3/4)
• Fortune Gordien 1947 (Discus, 173-3)
• Fortune Gordien 1948 (Discus, 164-0 1/4)
• Lloyd LaMois 1948 (Triple Jump, 45-10)
• Garry Bjorklund 1971 (Six Mile, 27:43.1)
• Adam Steele 2003 (400m, 44.57)

Wrestling

• Shelton Benjamin - Current World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar
• Verne Gagne - NCAA champion, owner of the defunct American Wrestling Association and its former heavyweight champion, member of many :Category:Professional wrestling halls of fame
• Cole Konrad - 2 time undefeated, NCAA individual champion at 285 lbs
• Brock Lesnar - Former World Wrestling Entertainment and current UFC Heavyweight Champion.
• Dustin Schlatter - 79-2 record in two seasons with the Gophers

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

Current facilities Baseline Tennis Center — tennis Bierman Track and Field Stadium — track Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium — women's soccer Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome — baseball, football Jane Sage Cowles Stadium — softball Les Bolstad Golf Course — golf Mariucci Arena — men's hockey Ridder Arena — women's hockey Siebert Field — baseball Sports Pavilion — gymnastics, volleyball, wrestling Williams Arena — basketball, wrestling U of M Boathouse — rowing University Aquatic Center — swimming and diving University Fieldhouse

Former facilities Northrop Field (1899-1923) Memorial Stadium (1924-1981) Future facilities TCF Bank Stadium — football (scheduled to open 2009)

References

1. Minnesota State Symbols
2. 2006-07 Big Ten Conference Records Book
3. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Public Infractions Report
4. Gopher Hockey History 1928-1929
5. Gopher Hockey History 1939-1940