The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college
sports team for the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. The Gophers
compete in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's and women's
ice hockey where the teams compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey
Association.
The common sports between men and women include 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. Cheerleaders and a marching band or pep band are present at
events for basketball, hockey, football, and volleyball. The
cheerleaders and bands are also overseen by the university's athletic
department. Joel Maturi has been the Athletic Director since 2002. The
Minnesota Rouser is played at U of M sporting events.
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. 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 Golden Gophers.
Legendary KSTP-AM 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.
