The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the

college sports College athletics encompasses non-professional, collegiate and university-level competitive sports and games. World University Games The first World University Games were held in 1923. There were originally called the ''Union Nationale des ...

teams of the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

. The Gophers women's ice hockey team is a six-time NCAA champion and seven-time national champion. In women's ice hockey, the Gophers belong to the

Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated a ...

. In all other sports, they belong to the

. Most of the facilities that the teams use for training and competitive play are located on the East Bank of the

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

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 TCF Bank Stadium in September 2009. The women's soccer team plays on the

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

campus in the

Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium is located in Falcon Heights on the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. It is primarily used as the home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's soccer team. The stadium opened in 1999 and seats 1,000. ...

. 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. 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 sponsored

Baseball

* National Championships (3): : 1956, 1960,

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

*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 * Big Ten Conference Tournament Championships (9): :1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2018

Men's basketball

* Big Ten Regular Season Championships (8): :1906, 1907, 1911, 1917, 1919, 1937, 1972, 1982 *NCAA Tournament Appearances (10): :

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

, 1982,

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

, 2005, 2009, 2010,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

*Sweet 16 Appearances (3): : 1982,

*Elite Eight Appearances (1): :

* 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.''

Women's basketball

*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 country

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

Women's cross country

*Big Ten Team Championships (2): :2007, 2008

Football

* National Championships (7): :1904, 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 (20): :Citrus Bowl – 2015 :Hall of Fame Classic –

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...

:Holiday Bowl –

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

:Independence Bowl –

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

:Insight Bowl – 2006,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, 2009 :Liberty Bowl – 1986 :MicronPC.com Bowl –

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

:Music City Bowl – 2002, 2004, 2005 :Outback Bowl –

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

:Quick Lane Bowl – 2015,

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

:Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas –

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

:Rose Bowl – 1961,

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

:Sun Bowl – 1999, 2003 :Texas Bowl –

* 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

Traveling trophies

*The Little Brown Jug – Accidentally left in Minnesota back in

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having bee ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

coach Fielding H. Yost, it is painted with the victories of the two teams. *

Floyd of Rosedale Floyd may refer to: As a name * Floyd (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Floyd (surname), a list of people and fictional characters Places in the United States * Floyd, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Floyd, Io ...

– Since 1935 the Gophers and the

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

Hawkeyes have fought to win this bronze pig. The Gophers won the 2010 and 2011 match up for the pig, upsetting the favored Hawkeyes at TCF Bank Stadium. * Paul Bunyan's Axe – Minnesota and the

Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivis ...

have passed this trophy back and forth since 1948, although it records the two teams' encounters since 1890. * Governor's Victory Bell – The bell was created to commemorate the

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

entrance of Penn State's Nittany Lions into the Big Ten. * $5-Bits-O-Broken-Chair Trophy – The newest of the five trophies. From a 2014 exchange on Twitter, Goldy Gopher created a trophy with a parody account of the then coach of Nebraska Bo Pelini.

Golf

Men's golf * National Championships (1): :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 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

Men's ice hockey

* National Championships (2 pre-NCAA, 5 NCAA): :1929, 1940, 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003 * WCHA Regular Season Championships (14): :1953, 1954, 1970, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013 * Big Ten Regular Season Championships (4): :2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 * Big Ten Tournament Championships (2): :2015, 2021 * WCHA Tournament Championships (14): :1961, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2007 *NCAA Frozen Four Appearances (21): : 1953, 1954, 1961, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2005,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

Women's ice hockey

* National Championships (7): :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 rowing

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

Women's soccer

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

Softball

*Big Ten Regular Season Championships (4): :1986, 1988, 1991, 2017 *Big Ten Tournament Championships (5): :1999, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 *

Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. Eight teams participate in the WCWS, which begins with a double-elimination tournament. In other wo ...

appearances (3): :1976, 1978, 2019

Spirit Squads

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

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 (7): :1999, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Men's tennis

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

Men's track

Outdoor track and field * National Championships (1): :1948 *Big Ten Team Championships (6): :1949, 1968, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2009, 2010 Indoor track and field *Big Ten Team Championships (4): :1998, 2009, 2010, 2011

Women's track

Outdoor track and field *Big Ten Team Championships (3): :2006, 2016, 2018 Indoor track and field *Big Ten Team Championships (4): :2007, 2008, 2009, 2018

Volleyball

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

Championships (3): :2002, 2015, 2018 *NCAA Tournament Appearances (21): :

, 1996,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, 1999,

, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,

, 2009, 2010, 2011,

, 2015,

*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

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 non varsity sports

Rugby

Minnesota rugby plays Division I

college rugby College rugby is played by men and women throughout colleges and universities in the United States of America. Seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants of rugby union are most commonly played. Most collegiate rugby programs do not fall under the ...

in the Big Ten Universities conference against traditional Big Ten rivals such as

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

and

. Minnesota qualified for the national playoffs in 2008, and finished the 2008 season ranked 7th in the nation. 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.

Traditions

The "Golden" Gophers

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 thirteen-lined ground squirrel (''Ictidomys tridecemlineatus''), also known as the striped gopher, leopard ground squirrel, squinney, (formerly known as the leopard-spermophile in the age of Audubon), is a ground squirrel that is widely dis ...

. 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. The nickname was associated with the university as early as the publication of the first yearbook in 1888, which was titled "The Gopher". 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. 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 Bernard W. Bierman (March 11, 1894 – March 7, 1977) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He coached from 1919 to 1950 except for a span during World War II when he served in the U.S. armed forces. Bierman was t ...

School songs

School song A school song, alma mater, school hymn or school anthem is the patronal song of a school. In England, this tradition is particularly strong in public schools and grammar schools. Australia *The Glennie School – ''Now Thank We All Our God'' ...

s for the university include

Minnesota Rouser The "Minnesota Rouser" is the fight song of the University of Minnesota. It is played at all Minnesota Golden Gophers games. Lyrics The phrase 'Ski-U-Mah' was part of an early cheer for the U of M. Gopher fans traditionally thrust their fists ...

Minnesota March Minnesota March is a march for wind band written by John Philip Sousa for the University of Minnesota. The piece was one of four marches written by Sousa expressly for a university. It is now used as one of the university's school songs, with lyr ...

Go Gopher Victory "Go Gopher Victory" is one of the school songs of the University of Minnesota. Composed in 1925 by University graduate Addison H. Douglass, this tune was originally entitled "The Gopher M". It is frequently played at Minnesota Golden Gopher athle ...

, Our Minnesota,

Minnesota Fight "Minnesota Fight" is one of several school songs of the University of Minnesota. Responding to a 1925 contest to find an additional fight song A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the Un ...

, Hail! Minnesota, and the

Battle Hymn of the Republic The "Battle Hymn of the Republic", also known as "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" or "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" outside of the United States, is a popular American patriotic song written by the abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe. Howe wrote her l ...

Notable athletes and coaches

Baseball

* John Anderson * Harry Elliott *

Brent Gates Brent Robert Gates (born March 14, 1970) is a former Major League Baseball second and third baseman. He played for the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Minnesota Twins between 1993 and 1999. Playing career Amateur Gates attended Grandvill ...

* Jack Hannahan *

Mark Merila Mark Merila (born November 9, 1971) is a scout for the San Diego Padres and a former professional baseball player. Amateur career Merila was born in Litchfield, Minnesota, and attended University of Minnesota. While with the University of Minnesota ...

Paul Molitor Paul Leo Molitor (born August 22, 1956), nicknamed "Molly" and "the Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and former manager of the Minnesota Twins, who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. During his 21-year baseball car ...

* Denny Neagle * Greg Olson *

Glen Perkins Glen Weston Perkins (born March 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and a television analyst. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins. He made his major league debut with the Min ...

Robb Quinlan Robb William Quinlan (born March 17, 1977) is an American former Major League Baseball utility player who played first base, third base, corner outfield, catcher and designated hitter for the Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim betwee ...

Dick Siebert Richard Walther Siebert (February 19, 1912 – December 9, 1978) was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1932, 1936–1945. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals, both of the N ...

– coach *

Terry Steinbach Terry Lee Steinbach (born March 2, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 1986 to 1999, most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics team that won three ...

Dave Winfield David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder. He is the special assistant to the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Over his 22-year career, he play ...

(also played basketball at Minnesota) * Dan Wilson

Basketball

Men's

Ron Behagen Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...

– Former

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA) player * Walter Bond – Former NBA player, and motivational speaker *

Randy Breuer Randall W. Breuer (born October 11, 1960) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round (18th pick overall) of the 1983 NBA draft. A 7'3" center from the University of Minnesota, ...

– Former NBA player *

Jim Brewer (basketball) James Turner Brewer (born December 3, 1951) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Brewer was the first notable player to come out of Proviso East High School, which has one of the most successful high school basketb ...

– Former NBA player * Willie Burton – Former NBA player * Archie Clark – Former NBA player * Louis 'Doc' Cooke, coach (1897–1924) *

Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. (born May 20, 1927) is a former head coach and player of American football, Canadian football, and a former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Grant served as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings ...

– Former NBA player,

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) player and longtime Hall of Fame head coach of the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

Clem Haskins Clem Smith Haskins (born August 11, 1943) is an American former college and professional basketball player and college basketball coach. In the fall of 1963, he and fellow star player Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the W ...

– coach *

Lou Hudson Louis Clyde Hudson ("Sweet Lou") (July 11, 1944 – April 11, 2014) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player, who was an All-American at the University of Minnesota and a six-time NBA All-Star, scoring 17,940 total points in 1 ...

– Former NBA player * Kris Humphries – NBA player *

Sam Jacobson Samuel Ryan Jacobson (born July 22, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played professionally for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Early life ...

– Former NBA player * Bobby Jackson – NBA player *

Mark Landsberger Mark Walter Landsberger (born May 21, 1955) is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'8" and 215 pounds, he played power forward and center for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1980-1983. Career Landsberger attended Mounds View High S ...

– Former NBA player *

Voshon Lenard Voshon Kelan Lenard (born May 14, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was listed as 6' 4" (1.93 m) and 215 lbs, and was born in Detroit, Michigan. ...

– Former NBA player * Kevin McHale – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and former President of Basketball Operations/head coach of the Houston Rockets * Mark Olberding – Former NBA player * Joel Przybilla – Former NBA player * Flip Saunders – Former NBA

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

Tubby Smith Orlando Henry "Tubby" Smith (born June 30, 1951) is an American college basketball coach. He was the men's basketball coach at High Point University, his alma mater. Smith previously served in the same role at the University of Tulsa, the Univer ...

– Former head coach * John Thomas – Former NBA player *

Mychal Thompson Mychal George Thompson (born January 30, 1955) is a Bahamian-American former basketball player. The top overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, Thompson played the center position for the University of Minnesota and center and forward for the Na ...

– Former NBA player *

Trent Tucker Kelvin Trent Tucker (born December 20, 1959) is an American retired professional basketball player who played eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A shooting guard, Tucker attended the University of Minnesota from 1978 t ...

– Former NBA player *

Ray Williams (basketball) Thomas Ray Williams (October 14, 1954 – March 22, 2013) was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association from 1977 to 1987. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, he was the younger brother of Gus W ...

– Former NBA player *

Trevor Winter Trevor Winter (born January 7, 1974, in Slayton, Minnesota) is am American former professional basketball player who played briefly in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 7'0" center from the University of Minnesota played just one gam ...

Women's

* Janel McCarville – Former WNBA player for the Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, and

Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007. The Sting was originally the sister organization of ...

* Lindsay Whalen – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, current Gopher's Women's Basketball Head Coach, and former WNBA player for the Minnesota Lynx and

Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was established as the Orlando Miracle in ...

* Linda Hill-MacDonald – Former head coach * Rachel Banham - WNBA Player for the Minnesota Lynx *

Amanda Zahui B Amanda Zahui Bazoukou (born September 8, 1993), known professionally as Amanda Zahui B., is a Swedish basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). After playing basketball both in Sweden and c ...

- WNBA Player for the Los Angeles Sparks

Football

Players

* Asad Abdul-Khaliq –

Quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

, Chicago Rush * Dominique Barber –

Safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

, Houston Texans *

Marion Barber Jr. Marion Sylvester Barber Jr. (born December 6, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 1982 to 1988. He played college football for the Minn ...

– Former

(NFL)

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

* Marion Barber III –

Running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

, Chicago Bears * Bert Baston – All-American, elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. Awarded

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

in World War I for extraordinary heroism. *

Bobby Bell Bobby Lee Bell Sr. (born June 17, 1940) is an American former professional football player who played as an outside linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the College Football ...

–

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

r *

Phil Bengtson John Phillip Bengtson (July 17, 1913 – December 18, 1994) was an American football player and coach. He was a longtime assistant coach in college football and the National Football League (NFL), chiefly remembered as the successor to Vince Lo ...

– Former NFL

– Member of the College Football Hall of Fame * McKinley Boston – Former NFL Defensive end/Linebacker * Jack Brewer – Safety, Arizona Cardinals * Win Brockmeyer – Former high school football

* Tom Brown- 1960

Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...

winner, member of the College Football Hall of Fame * Gino Cappelletti – Former American Football League (AFL) Wide receiver/ Placekicker, AFL all-time leading scorer * Tyrone Carter – Defensive back, San Diego Chargers, 1999

Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Payco ...

winner *

Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. Dungy's teams be ...

– Former NFL safety for Pittsburgh Steelers, former

of the Indianapolis Colts & first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

head coach to win a Super Bowl championship ( Super Bowl XLI) *Mark Dusbabek – Former NFL Linebacker * Carl Eller –

r * Greg Eslinger – Center,

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

, 2005

and

Rimington Trophy The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best American football center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. A member of the National College ...

winner * George Gibson – Former NFL

offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict in ...

and

* Paul Giel – Member of the College Football Hall of Fame; also was Minnesota's athletic director from 1972 to 1988 and played

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

–

r & Canadian Football Hall of Fame *

Ben Hamilton Benjamin Thomas Hamilton (born August 18, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard and center in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Minn ...

–

Offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict in ...

*Ed Hawthorne – Defensive tackle,

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

Mike Hohensee Michael Louis Hohensee (born February 22, 1961) is a former professional football quarterback who played in the United States Football League, Canadian Football League, National Football League and Arena Football League. He most recently the hea ...

–

Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

, Chicago Rush * Herb Joesting – Member of the College Football Hall of Fame * Rhys Lloyd – Kicker,

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

* Bob McNamara – Former Running Back,

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...

* John McGovern, College Football Hall of Fame, quarterback *

Laurence Maroney Laurence Maroney (born February 5, 1985) is a former American football running back who played five seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Minnesota and was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2 ...

–

Bobby Marshall Robert Wells Marshall (March 12, 1880 – August 27, 1958) was an American sportsman. He was best known for playing football; however, Marshall also competed in baseball,

– One of the first two African-Americans to play in the NFL, member of the College Football Hall of Fame * Karl Mecklenburg – Former NFL

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

Willie Middlebrooks Willie Frank Middlebrooks (born February 12, 1979) is a former cornerback of the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). Middlebrooks was named First-Team All-State as a senior at Homestead High School in Homestead, F ...

– Defensive back,

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

Bronko Nagurski Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski (November 3, 1908 – January 7, 1990) was a Canadian-born professional American football player in the National Football League (NFL), renowned for his strength and size. Nagurski was also a successful professional ...

–

r (charter member), member of the College Football Hall of Fame *

Leo Nomellini Leo Joseph Nomellini (June 19, 1924 – October 17, 2000) was an Italian-American Hall of Fame American football offensive and defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers and professional wrestler. He played college football for Minnesota and ...

–

r *

Derek Rackley Derek Lance Rackley (born July 18, 1977) is a former American football long snapper and tight end who played 8 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Rackley is currently a football analyst and broadcaster for the Comcast/Charter Sports ...

–

Tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

, Atlanta Falcons * Darrell Reid – Defensive Tackle, Indianapolis Colts *

Karon Riley Karon Joseph Riley (born August 23, 1978) is a former American NFL Player, actor, producer and gridiron football defensive lineman who most recently played for the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League (AFL) (2007–2008). High school ...

–

Defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

* Charlie Sanders –

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

, member of the

* Cory Sauter – Former NFL

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

Jeff Schuh Jeffrey Schuh (born May 22, 1958 in Crystal, Minnesota) is a former linebacker in the National Football League. Schuh was drafted in the seventh round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and spent five seasons with the team. He woul ...

– Retired

Linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

Mark Setterstrom Mark David Setterstrom (born March 3, 1984) is a former American football guard. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota. Early years Setterstrom earned All-State, ...

–

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...

Bruce Smith Bruce Bernard Smith (born June 18, 1963) is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Virginia Tech, where he was ...

– 1941 Heisman Trophy winner, member of the College Football Hall of Fame *

Sandy Stephens Sanford Emory Stephens II (September 21, 1940 – June 6, 2000) was an American college football player and civic leader. Stephens was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area city of Uniontown, Pennsylvania and is best known for his career as a c ...

– First African-American major-college All-American

Thomas Tapeh Thomas Teah Tapeh (pronounced ''TUH-PEH'') (born March 28, 1980 in Monrovia, Liberia) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minn ...

– Former NFL fullback * Ryan Thelwell – Wide Receiver,

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first seas ...

Darrell Thompson Darrell Alexander Thompson (born November 23, 1967) is a former professional American football running back who played for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers. He was selected by Green Bay in the first roun ...

– Former NFL running back *

Rick Upchurch Richard Upchurch (born May 20, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos (1975–1983) of the National Football League (NFL). Before his NFL career, he attended Springfield High Sc ...

– Former NFL wide receiver *

Ben Utecht Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht (born June 30, 1981) is a former American football player and current singer.Tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...

* Bud Wilkinson – Member of the College Football Hall of Fame * Jeff Wright – Former

Defensive back * Eric Decker –

* Marcus Sherels –

Cornerback/Punt Returner * Simoni Lawrence –

linebacker

Coaches

Tim Brewster Tim Brewster (born October 13, 1960) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the tight ends coach for the University of Colorado. He also served as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for the North Carolina ...

Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler (; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and ...

Pudge Heffelfinger William Walter "Pudge" Heffelfinger (December 20, 1867 – April 2, 1954), also spelled Hafelfinger, was an American football player and coach. He is considered the first athlete to play American football professionally, having been paid to pl ...

Wesley Fesler Wesley Eugene Fesler (June 29, 1908 – July 30, 1989) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach of football and basketball. He was a three-sport athlete at Ohio State University and a consensus first-team selection to ...

George Hauser George Wesley Hauser (February 24, 1893 – November 8, 1968) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Colgate University from 1926 until 1927 and at the University of Minnesota from 1942 to 1944, compili ...

* Lou Holtz *

Jerry Kill Gerald R. Kill (born August 24, 1961) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at New Mexico State University. He played college football at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas from 1979 to 1982. Kill served as the head ...

Glen Mason Glen Orin Mason (born April 9, 1950) is a former American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a re ...

* William H. Spaulding * Clarence Spears *

Jim Wacker James Herbert Wacker (April 28, 1937 – August 26, 2003) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Texas Lutheran University (1971–1975), North Dakota State University (1976–1 ...

Murray Warmath Murray Warmath (December 26, 1912 – March 16, 2011) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1952 to 1953 and at the University of Minnesota from 1954 to 1971, compili ...

* Henry L. Williams

Golf

Tom Lehman Thomas Edward Lehman (born March 7, 1959) is an American professional golfer. A former number 1 ranked golfer, his tournament wins include one major title, the 1996 Open Championship; and he is the only golfer in history to have been awarded th ...

*James McLean

Gymnastics

* Newt Loken *

Marie Roethlisberger Marie Roethlisberger (born May 12, 1966), is a former gymnast who was a 1984 United States Olympic gymnastics alternate. She is almost completely deaf. She is the daughter of United States 1968 Olympic Gymnast Fred Roethlisberger and the siste ...

John Roethlisberger John Roethlisberger (born June 21, 1970) is a retired American gymnast. He is a three-time Olympian, representing the U.S. at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He is also a four-time U.S. Nat ...

Hockey

Men's

Wendell Anderson Wendell Richard "Wendy" Anderson (February 1, 1933 – July 17, 2016) was an American hockey player, politician, and the 33rd governor of Minnesota, serving from January 4, 1971, to December 29, 1976. In late 1976 he resigned as governor in ord ...

* Keith Ballard *

Kellen Briggs Kellen Briggs (born June 28, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. Playing career Briggs graduated from Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He played three seasons with the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede, ...

Herb Brooks Herbert Paul Brooks Jr. (August 5, 1937 – August 11, 2003) was an American ice hockey player and coach. His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team at Lake Placid. At the Games, Brooks' ...

Aaron Broten Aaron Kent Broten (born November 14, 1960) is an American former professional ice hockey player. Drafted in the sixth round, 106th overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Rockies, Broten went on to play 748 regular season games in th ...

Neal Broten Neal LaMoy Broten (born November 29, 1959) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A member of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at Lake Placid in 1980, Broten was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in ...

* Kris Chucko * Ben Clymer * Mike Crowley *

Alex Goligoski Alexander Goligoski (born July 30, 1985) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). During his NHL career, he has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the organization that ...

Tim Harrer Timothy Steven Harrer (born May 10, 1957) is an American former ice hockey winger who played three games in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames during the 1982–83 season. Early life Harrer was born in Bloomington, Minnesota. H ...

* Steve Janaszak * Bob Johnson * Phil Kessel * Trent Klatt *

Reed Larson Reed David Larson (born July 30, 1956) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and former captain of the Detroit Red Wings who played 904 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1976 and 1990. He is a member ...

* Nick Leddy * Jordan Leopold *

Don Lucia Don Lucia (born August 20, 1958) is an American former ice hockey head coach, who was named as inaugural commissioner of the second Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) on June 17, 2020. The CCHA, which is set to start play in the 2021– ...

John Mariucci John Mariucci (May 8, 1916 – March 23, 1987) was an American ice hockey player, administrator and coach. Mariucci was born in Eveleth, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota where he played for both the hockey and football teams. ...

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son o ...

John Mayasich John Edward Mayasich (born May 22, 1933) is an American former ice hockey player of American Croats, Croatian descent. He was a member of the U.S. ice hockey team that won a silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics and a gold medal at the 1960 W ...

* Joe Micheletti * Pat Micheletti *

Lou Nanne Louis Vincent Anthony Nanne (born June 2, 1941) is a Canadian-born American former National Hockey League defenceman and general manager. He played in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars between 1968 and 1978 and then served ...

Ryan Potulny Ryan Potulny (born September 5, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey center. He is currently an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota men's ice hockey team. Playing career Potulny was drafted in the third round, 87th ov ...

* Johnny Pohl *

Robb Stauber Robert Thomas Stauber (born November 25, 1967) is an American ice hockey coach and former player. He was the head coach of the United States women's national ice hockey team. He played the goaltender position at the University of Minnesota and pr ...

* Jeff Taffe *

Thomas Vanek Thomas Vanek (born 19 January 1984) is an Austrian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played fourteen years in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, Detroit R ...

Phil Verchota Phil may refer to: * Phil (given name), a shortened version of masculine and feminine names * Phill, a given name also spelled "Phil" * Phil, Kentucky, United States * ''Phil'' (film), a 2019 film * -phil-, a lexical fragment, used as a root term ...

* Blake Wheeler *

Doug Woog Douglas William Woog (January 28, 1944 – December 14, 2019) was an American ice hockey coach and broadcaster. He was a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, inducted in 2002. Woog was coach of the University of Minnesota Golden Goph ...

Women's

* Winny Brodt *

Natalie Darwitz Natalie Rose Darwitz (born October 13, 1983) is an American ice hockey player. Natalie was the Captain of the US Women's National Team for several seasons beginning with the 2007–08 season. She won three World Championships between 2005 and 2 ...

* Courtney Kennedy *

Gisele Marvin Gisele Marie "Gigi" Marvin (born March 7, 1987) is an American ice hockey player for the Boston Pride of the National Women's Hockey League. As a member of the United States national women's ice hockey team, Marvin won a silver medal at the 20 ...

* Noora Raty *

Jenny Schmidgall-Potter Jennifer Lynn Schmidgall-Potter (born January 12, 1979) is an American ice hockey player. She is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics, silver medals at the 2002 Winter Ol ...

Krissy Wendell Kristin Elizabeth "Krissy" Wendell-Pohl (born September 12, 1981) is an American former women's ice hockey player, and current amateur scout for The Pittsburgh Penguins. During the 2004–05 season, Wendell set an NCAA record for most short-han ...

Swimming

* Justin Mortimer

Track and field

Women's

Gabriele Grunewald Gabriele Ivy Grunewald (''née'' Anderson; June 25, 1986 – June 11, 2019) was an American professional middle-distance runner who competed in distances from 800 meters to 5000 meters. She represented the United States at the 2014 IAAF World Ind ...

Men's

Hassan Mead Hassan Mead ( Somali: Xassan Miicaad, ar, حسن ميد; born June 28, 1989) is a Somali-American long-distance runner. He was a cross country and track athlete for the University of Minnesota. An eight-time All-American in his Minnesota care ...

Buddy Edelen Leonard Graves "Buddy" Edelen (September 22, 1937 – February 19, 1997) was an American marathoner. Based in England for most of his prime competitive years, in 1963 Edelen became the first man to run a marathon faster than 2 hours and 15 minut ...

=NCAA Champions indoor

= *

Ron Backes Ron Backes (born 19 February 1963 in St. Cloud, Minnesota) is an American retired shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competiti ...

1986 (Shot Put, 68–11¼) * Martin Eriksson 1993 (Pole Vault, 18–0½) * Vesa Rantanen 1998 (Pole Vault, 18–2½) *Kaitlyn Long 2018 (Hammer, 76–05.50)

=NCAA Champions outdoor

= *

Fortune Gordien Fortune Everett Gordien (September 9, 1922 – April 10, 1990) was an American discus thrower and shot putter who set four world records in the discus throw. He competed in this event at the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics and placed third, fourth ...

1946 (Discus, 153–10¾) *

1947 (Discus, 173–3) *

1948 (Discus, 164–0¼) * Garry Bjorklund 1971 (Six Mile, 27:43.1) *Obsa Ali 2017 (3000m steeplechase, 8:32.23)

Wrestling

* Shelton Benjamin — professional wrestler, 36–6 record in two seasons with the Gophers. *

Verne Gagne Laverne Clarence Gagne (February 26, 1926 – April 27, 2015) was an American amateur and professional wrestler, football player, wrestling trainer, and wrestling promoter. He was the owner and promoter of the Minneapolis-based American Wrest ...

– NCAA champion, owner of the defunct American Wrestling Association and its former heavyweight champion (10 times), member of

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas currently closed to water leaks. The museum was founded by Tony Vellano in 1999, and was previo ...

, and several others. *

Cole Konrad Minnesota Golden Gophers Cole Konrad (born April 2, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial arts fighter. Konrad won a gold medal at the 2005 Pan-American Championships. He won the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, NCA ...

– 2 time undefeated, NCAA individual champion at 285 lbs; current

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and the former Bellator Heavyweight Champion *

Nik Lentz Nik Lentz (born August 13, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the lightweight division. Background Lentz was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Twin ...

, wrestler; current

for the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(featherweight) * Brock Lesnar – Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...

champion. * Dustin Schlatter – 79–2 record in two seasons with the Gophers *

Jacob Volkmann Minnesota Golden Gophers Jacob Joseph Volkmann (born September 5, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Volkmann has formerly competed for t ...

– 3-time all-American, former UFC fighter. * Gable Steveson - Olympic gold medalist

Athletic directors

:''Note: From 1974 to 2002, there were separate athletic departments for men and women's sports.'' *1922–30 Fred Luehring *1930–32 Herbert O. (Fritz) Crisler *1932–41

Frank G. McCormick Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cur ...

*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 Belmar Gunderson (September 7, 1934 – May 15, 2023) was an American tennis player. Gunderson, the daughter of an Army colonel, was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and lived in various other military bases during her childhood, including in post-w ...

(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 Chris Voelz (born May 29, 1949) is the executive director of the Honda Sports Award, Collegiate Women Sports Awards, the most prestigious national collegiate sports awards program for women since 1976. Voelz also heads her own consulting business, A ...

(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) *2002–2012 Joel Maturi *2012–2015

Norwood Teague Norwood Teague (born 1965) is the former athletic director at the University of Minnesota. Early career Teague graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 1988 with a B.A. in political science and later earned a master ...

*2015–2016 Beth Goetz (interim) *2016-pres Mark Coyle

Facilities

Current facilities

*Baseline Tennis Center — tennis *Bierman Track and Field Stadium — track *

— women's soccer *Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex *Jane Sage Cowles Stadium — softball *

Les Bolstad Golf Course Les Bolstad Golf Course is a golf course owned by the University of Minnesota. The course is located in Falcon Heights, Minnesota on the "St. Paul" campus of the University. The school's Cross country running, cross country teams use it to hold me ...

— golf, cross country * 3M Arena at Mariucci — men's hockey * Ridder Arena — women's hockey *

Siebert Field Siebert Field is a baseball park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. It is the home venue for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Big Ten Conference, and is named in honor of Dick Siebert, a former head coach who led ...

— baseball *Maturi Pavilion — gymnastics, volleyball, wrestling * TCF Bank Stadium — football * Williams Arena — basketball, wrestling *U of M Boathouse — rowing *Jean K. Freeman University Aquatic Center — swimming and diving *University FieldhouseInvalid Access
Admin.xosn.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.

Former facilities

* Northrop Field (1899–1923) * Memorial Stadium (1924–1981) * Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (1982–2014)

References

External links

* {{Minnesota Sports

Sports sponsored

Baseball

Men's basketball

Women's basketball

Men's cross country

Women's cross country

Football

Traveling trophies

Golf

Gymnastics

Men's ice hockey

Women's ice hockey

Women's rowing

Women's soccer

Softball

Spirit Squads

Swimming

Men's tennis

Men's track

Women's track

Volleyball

Wrestling

Notable non varsity sports

Rugby

Traditions

The "Golden" Gophers

School songs

Notable athletes and coaches

Baseball

Basketball

Men's

Women's

Football

Players

Coaches

Golf

Gymnastics

Hockey

Men's

Women's

Swimming

Track and field

Women's

Men's

=NCAA Champions indoor

=NCAA Champions outdoor

Wrestling

Athletic directors

Facilities

Current facilities

Former facilities

See also

References

External links