The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The Golden Gophers boast large fan bases for men's basketball, men's hockey and Gopher football. Women's hockey and basketball also have many fans and the Gopher women teams often enjoy more success than the Gopher men's teams.
The University of Minnesota adopted their colors when Augusta Smith, a University English instructor, chose the annual graduation colors in 1880. Smith chose maroon and gold because students and faculty liked it. Years passed and the maroon and gold eventually became the school's colors with no formal action passed. The Gopher mascot came about from a political cartoon published in 1857. The cartoon depicted nine Gophers with the heads of local politicians pulling a locomotive. The University decided they would pick up the nickname. The "Golden" part of the nickname didn't come about until the 1930s, when radio announcer Halsey Hall referenced the Gophers all-gold football attire.
The Gopher men's and Gopher women's ice hockey teams have been extremely competitive over the last decade, with the women's team winning three National Championships and the men's team winning two. The Gopher men play their hockey games at Mariucci Arena while the women play at Ridder Arena. Notable Gopher mens hockey players include Herb Brooks, Neal Broten, Jordan Leopold and Thomas Vanek. Notable women's players include Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell.
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball has become a pleasant surprise in the 2007-08 season thanks to the addition of legendary coach Tubby Smith. Smith has helped the Golden Gophers start with a 10-3 record. The Gophers first conference game came against perhaps the best Big Ten team in Michigan State. The Gophers were ranked as nobodies while the Michigan State Spartans were ranked sixth in the nation. Smith's Golden Gophers came within one point late in the second half, almost upsetting the Spartans. This could be the start of something very good for this Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team. The Gophers have a great chance in defending their home court Williams Arena this season, where they have not lost yet. Golden Gophers men's basketball tickets are a special experience for anyone who has ever played high school basketball; the Williams Arena crowd brings you back to the old-school. The Golden Gophers women's basketball team is also an exciting draw. Two of the best players in the WNBA today call the University of Minnesota their alma mater, Lindsay Whalen of the Connecticut Sun and Janel McCarville of the New York Liberty. Notable players who have played for the Gopher mens basketball team include Bobby Jackson, Voshon Lenard and Joel Przybilla.
Minnesota Golden Gophers football fell on hard time last season but the future looks bright with new head coach Tim Brewster's commitment to recruiting. In their history, the Golden Gophers have won six National Championships but none since 1960. More recently, the Golden Gophers football team has won the 2002 Music City Bowl, the 2003 Sun Bowl and the 2004 Music City Bowl. The Gophers will play one more season in the Metrodome before moving into the new TCF Bank Stadium in 2009. Don't wait to get Gopher football tickets in this exciting new stadium. Some notable Gopher football alumni include Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney. Both superb running backs have a good chance of winning a Super Bowl ring with their respective teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots.
University of Minnesota Gopher athletics are a hot ticket in the Minneapolis market. There are more Gopher fans than seats in the local arenas so buy you Golden Gopher Tickets early and plan to see a great Gopher game!
