Amid snowdrifts in two bustling, interconnected cities, the musical stylings of Prince and Bob Dylan echo through the decades. And frigid weather is paired with longstanding food, drink and sporting traditions.
The University of Minnesota’s main campus, located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, was once the home of vice presidents, wrestlers, musicians and basketball stars. Above freshly plowed fields and frozen rinks, 29 NCAA-recognized championship banners hang proudly.
As the Oregon Ducks prepare for a move to the Big Ten Conference in 2024, The Oregonian/OregonLive is taking a look at all of their newest conference rivals. While Ducks fans might be deeply familiar with fellow Pac-12 departees Washington, USC and UCLA, they have 14 new teams to get to know this year.
Next up is the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Nickname: Golden Gophers
Location: Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota
School founded: 1851
Joined Big Ten: 1896
Type: Public
Enrollment: 54,890
Endowment: $3.1 billion
Athletic department spending (2021-22): $130.3 million
Athletic department revenue (2021-22): $135.2 million
Football spending (2021-22): $40.8 million
Football revenue (2021-22): $72.8 million
Football stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium
Capacity: 50,805
Varsity sports: 21 (9 men’s, 12 women’s)
Mascot: Goldy Gopher
Fight song: “Minnesota Rouser”
Notable alumni: Bob Dylan, Ric Flair, Henry Fonda, Hubert Humphrey, Brock Lesnar, Kevin McHale, Walter Mondale, Mychal Thompson
Famous coaches: P.J. Fleck (football), Bernie Bierman (football), L.J. Cooke (men’s basketball), J Robinson (wrestling)
Biggest rivals: Iowa, Wisconsin
Essential movies: Purple Rain (1984), The Mighty Ducks (1992), Fargo (1996)
Team national titles: Baseball (3), men’s basketball (2), football (7), men’s golf (1), men’s ice hockey (5), women’s ice hockey (7), men’s track and field (1), wrestling (3)
Did you know? The Gopher Way is a series of underground tunnels and skyways on the University of Minnesota campus, allowing students and faculty to navigate between buildings while avoiding the brutal Minnesota winter weather.
GET TO KNOW THE REST OF THE B1G
HOW DOES OREGON COMPARE?
MORE DUCKS COVERAGE
- News | Newsletter | Facebook | YouTube | Podcast | Insider Texts
- Support local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive
- Contact Ryan Clarke at rclarke@oregonian.com