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The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 21 (9 men's, 12 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Ten Conference.

The Gophers women's ice hockey team is a six-time NCAA champion and seven-time national champion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 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's and women's basketball (Williams Arena) as well as ice hockey (Mariucci Arena and Ridder Arena). The Gopher football team began playing at Huntington Bank Stadium in September 2009. The women's soccer team plays on the St. Paul campus in the Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.

The Cheerleaders and the Dance Team are also part of the university's athletic department; they are present at events for basketball, ice hockey, and football, and compete for UCA/UDA national titles in the winter. The University of Minnesota spirit squad was the first as sideline cheerleading was invented at the U of M, and it prides itself in being one of the largest spirit squads in the country. The U of M spirit squad currently consists of three cheerleading teams (all girl, coed, and small coed), a dance team, Goldy Gopher, and a unique ice hockey cheerleading team. The dance team won its 19th national title in 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During the 2006–07 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 ice hockey, men's golf, women's rowing, men's swimming and diving, and women's indoor track and field.

Sports sponsoredEdit

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Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross country Golf
Football Gymnastics
Golf Ice hockey
Ice hockey Rowing
Swimming and diving Soccer
Track and field Softball
Wrestling Swimming and diving
Tennis
Track and field
Volleyball
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BaseballEdit

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File:Siebert Field exterior.JPG
Siebert Field, baseball stadium
File:Big Ten logo in Minnesota colors.svg
Big Ten logo in Minnesota's colors
1956, 1960, 1964
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances (32):
1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018
  • Big Ten Regular Season Championships (24):
1933, 1935, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2018
1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2018

Men's basketballEdit

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File:Hakim Hart (50947354661).jpg
Minnesota v Maryland game in 2021
1906, 1907, 1911, 1917, 1919, 1937, 1972, 1982
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances (10):
1972, 1982, 1989, 1990, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019
  • Sweet 16 Appearances (3):
1982, 1989, 1990
  • Elite Eight Appearances (1):
1990
  • NIT Appearances (12):
1973, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2014
  • NIT Championships (2):
1993, 2014

Note: A 1997 Big Ten regular season championship, NCAA Tournament appearances in 1994, 1995, 1997 (Final Four), and 1999, as well as NIT appearances in 1996 and 1998 (Championship) were vacated due to NCAA sanctions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

Women's basketballEdit

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File:Jaz Shelley 2024.jpg
Minnesota v Nebraska game, 2024
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances (10):
1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2018
  • Sweet 16 Appearances (3):
2003, 2004, 2005
  • Elite Eight Appearances (1):
2004
  • Final Four Appearances (1):
2004

Men's cross countryEdit

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

Women's cross countryEdit

File:Umncc07.jpg
Women's Cross Country Team runs the OZ invitational on the Les Bolstad Golf Course.
  • Big Ten Team Championships (2):
2007, 2008

FootballEdit

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1904, 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 (20):
Citrus Bowl – 2015
Duke's Mayo Bowl - 2025
Guaranteed Rate Bowl - 2021
Hall of Fame Classic –1977
Holiday Bowl – 2016
Independence Bowl – 1985
Insight Bowl – 2006, 2008, 2009
Liberty Bowl – 1986
MicronPC.com Bowl – 2000
Music City Bowl – 2002, 2004, 2005
Outback Bowl – 2020
Pinstripe Bowl - 2022
Quick Lane Bowl – 2015, 2018
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas – 2012
Quick Lane Bowl - 2023
Rose Bowl – 1961, 1962
Sun Bowl – 1999, 2003
Texas Bowl – 2013
  • Bowl game victories: 1962 Rose Bowl, 1985 Independence Bowl, 2002 Music City Bowl, 2003 Sun Bowl, 2004 Music City Bowl, 2015 Quick Lane Bowl, 2016 Holiday Bowl, 2018 Quick Lane Bowl, 2020 Outback Bowl, 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, 2022 Pinstripe Bowl, 2023 Quick Lane Bowl, 2025 Duke's Mayo Bowl

Traveling trophiesEdit

GolfEdit

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2002
  • Individual National Champions (2):
1944 – Louis Lick
1998 – James McLean
  • Big Ten Team Championships (8):
1929, 1938, 1963, 1972, 2002, 2003, 2007 (co-champions), 2014

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  • Big Ten Team Championships (1):
1989

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GymnasticsEdit

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 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

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  • Big Ten Team Championships (5):
1988, 1989, 1991, 1998, 2006

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Men's ice hockeyEdit

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1929,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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1953, 1954, 1970, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2025
2015, 2021
1961, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2007
  • NCAA Frozen Four Appearances (22):
1953, 1954, 1961, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2023

Women's ice hockeyEdit

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2000 (AWCHA), 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
  • WCHA Regular Season Championships (8):
2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014
  • WCHA Tournament Championships (7):
2002, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • NCAA Frozen Four Appearances (15):
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

Women's rowingEdit

  • Big Ten Championships (1):
2007
  • NCAA Champions in V2
2007

Women's soccerEdit

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  • Big Ten Championships (4):
1995, 1997, 2008, 2016

SoftballEdit

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  • Big Ten Regular Season Championships (4):
1986, 1988, 1991, 2017
  • Big Ten Tournament Championships (5):
1999, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
1976, 1978, 2019<ref name="Plummer">Template:Cite book</ref>

Spirit SquadsEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Dance Team

  • National Championships (13):
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019

SwimmingEdit

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Men's swimming

  • Big Ten Team Championships (9):
1922, 1926, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007

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  • Big Ten Team Championships (7):
1999, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

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Men's tennisEdit

  • Big Ten Team Championships (15):
1910, 1911, 1912, 1918, 1932, 1933, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2015

Track and fieldEdit

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Men's trackEdit

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Outdoor track and field

1948
  • Big Ten Team Championships (6):
1949, 1968, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2009, 2010

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  • Big Ten Team Championships (4):
1998, 2009, 2010, 2011

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Women's trackEdit

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  • Big Ten Team Championships (3):
2006, 2016, 2018

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  • Big Ten Team Championships (4):
2007, 2008, 2009, 2018

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VolleyballEdit

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2002, 2015, 2018
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances (21):
1989, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Sweet 16 Appearances (16):
1989, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
  • Final Four Appearances (5):
2003, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2016

WrestlingEdit

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2001, 2002, 2007
  • Big Ten Team Championships (12):
1910, 1912, 1913, 1941, 1957, 1959, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007

Notable non varsity sportsEdit

RugbyEdit

Minnesota rugby plays Division I college rugby in the Big Ten Universities conference against traditional Big Ten rivals such as Wisconsin and Iowa.<ref>USA Rugby, College Conferences, http://www.usarugby.org/#cc%3D%5BApplication%5D%5C%5CStructure%5C%5CContent%5C%5CBrand%20Resource%20Center%5C%5CContent%5C%5CHome%5C%5C21D9415F-129C-3D1E-45B7-71078B463B81%5C%5C23181D59-131F-BE4F-E441-2B48F8B651A9%7B%7BTab%3AView%7D%7D</ref> Minnesota qualified for the national playoffs in 2008, and finished the 2008 season ranked 7th in the nation.<ref>Rugby Mag, Final Men's D1 College Top 25, May 17, 2011</ref> Some of Minnesota's games have been well attended by fans, with the team drawing as many as 6,000 fans to watch the team play at TCF Bank Stadium.<ref>Rugby Mag, Badgers Ruin Gophers' Party, October 8, 2011, http://www.rugbymag.com/men's-di-college/2262-badgers-ruin-gophers-party.html Template:Webarchive</ref>

TraditionsEdit

The "Golden" GophersEdit

The University Mascot is derived from a nickname for the state of Minnesota, "The Gopher State." The original design was based on the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. The state nickname derives from a political cartoon by R. O. Sweeny, published as a broadside in 1858. The cartoon depicted state legislators as gophers dragging the state in the wrong direction.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The nickname was associated with the university as early as the publication of the first yearbook in 1888, which was titled "The Gopher".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Other early yearbooks included depictions of gophers as well, and the University of Minnesota football coach Clarence Spears officially named the football team the Gophers in 1926.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After the radio announcer Halsey Hall began referring to the team as the Golden Gophers due to the color of their uniforms, the team was renamed under coach Bernie Bierman.<ref name="Evolution of Goldie">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

School songsEdit

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.

Notable athletes and coachesEdit

BaseballEdit

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BasketballEdit

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Men'sEdit

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  • Joel Przybilla – Former NBA player<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Tubby Smith – Former head coach<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • John Thomas – Former NBA player<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Women'sEdit

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FootballEdit

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PlayersEdit

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  • McKinley Boston – Former NFL Defensive end/Linebacker<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Thomas Tapeh – Former NFL fullback<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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CoachesEdit

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  • Lou Holtz<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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GolfEdit

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GymnasticsEdit

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HockeyEdit

Men'sEdit

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  • Don Lucia<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Lou Nanne<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Women'sEdit

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SwimmingEdit

Track and fieldEdit

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Men'sEdit

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WrestlingEdit

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Athletic directorsEdit

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

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FacilitiesEdit

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Current facilitiesEdit

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Former facilitiesEdit

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See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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