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Minnesota Golden Gophers football
2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
First season1882; 142 years ago
Athletic directorMark Coyle
Head coachP. J. Fleck
8th season, 57–39 (.594)
StadiumHuntington Bank Stadium
(capacity: 50,805[1])
LocationMinneapolis, Minnesota
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
All-time record735–545–44 (.572)
Bowl record12–12 (.500)
Claimed national titles7 (1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960)
Unclaimed national titles2 (1911, 1915)
Conference titles18
Division titles1 (2019)[2]
RivalriesIowa (rivalry)
Michigan (rivalry)
Nebraska (rivalry)
Penn State (trophy)[3] Wisconsin (rivalry)
Heisman winnersBruce Smith – 1941
Consensus All-Americans34
Current uniform
ColorsMaroon and gold[4]
   
Fight songMinnesota Rouser
MascotGoldy Gopher
Marching bandMinnesota Marching Band
OutfitterNike
Websitegophersports.com

The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represents the University of Minnesota in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Founded in 1882, Minnesota has been a member of the Big Ten Conference since its inception in 1896 as the Western Conference. The Golden Gophers claim seven national championships,[5] including four (1936, 1940, 1941, and 1960) from the major wire-service: AP Poll and/or Coaches' Poll.

Since 2009, the Golden Gophers have played all their home games at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[6] The team is currently coached by P. J. Fleck.

History

[edit]
See also: List of Minnesota Golden Gophers football seasons

The Minnesota Gophers college football team played its first game on September 29, 1882, a 4–0 victory over Hamline University. Eight years later in 1890, the Gophers played host to Wisconsin in a 63–0 victory. With the exception of 1906, the Gophers and Badgers have played each other every year since then. The 132 games played against each other is the most played rivalry in Division I-A college football.

Early years

[edit]
Minnesota football team of 1898

The sport's beginnings were humble. Students began gathering to play the game recreationally and its popularity grew.

Once the sport had taken off, it was only a matter of time before a team was formed to play against other schools. Early teams were very loosely organized, not requiring all of the players to be students and not having designated coaches. The players on the team started to recruit faculty members who had played football at schools in the East to help organize the team. The team gained their first coach in 1883: Thomas Peebles, a philosophy professor who also recruited a cheer team for the football players, which later established him as the father of American cheerleading.[7] Like many of the early coaches, his term lasted just one year.[8]

Some years, the football team played without a coach. Other years, they played with multiple coaches. In total, from 1882 through 1899, the team played 16 seasons of football and had 15 different coaches. As the years went by, the leadership structure started to become more formal. In 1900, the hiring of Dr. Henry L. Williams, the school’s first full-time salaried coach, signaled the end of the early, chaotic days.[9]: 15 

Glory years

[edit]
The Minnesota's Golden Gophers, 1935 National Champions, coaches: Bert Baston, end coach; Bernie Bierman, head coach; and George Hauser, line coach. The fourth varsity tutor, Lowek (Red) Dawson, who coached the backfield, was absent when the photograph was taken

The Gophers enjoyed quite a bit of success in the early 20th century, posting winning records from 1900 to 1919. Head coach Henry L. Williams developed the "Minnesota shift", a predecessor to later quick line shifts, which was adopted widely.[10] Also Henry L. Williams led Minnesota to one of the NCAA's longest unbeaten streaks of 35 games, from 1903 to 1905 with 34 wins and 1 tie.[11] In 1932, Bernie Bierman became the Gophers' head coach and led the Gophers to their first dynasty. From 1934 to 1936 the Gophers went on a run of winning three straight National Championships, the last Division I team to accomplish this feat. During the run, Minnesota went unbeaten in 28 straight games, 21 of which were consecutive victories. The school record for consecutive victories is 24, which spanned 3 seasons from 1903 to 1905. Led by halfback Bruce Smith, the Gophers also won two more national championships in 1940 and 1941, with Smith winning the Heisman Trophy in 1941. Those two seasons comprised most of an 18-game winning streak that stretched from 1939 to 1942.

Fall from power

[edit]

In the seasons immediately following the end of World War II, Bernie Bierman did not adopt the 2 most important innovations in on-field strategy: substituting the 60-minute player for two-platoon of offensive-only and defensive-only players, and the split-T offensive formation. Instead, Bierman continued to use two-way players and the single-wing formation.[12]

Off the field, Bierman had to contend with the most conservative administration in the Big Ten. President James Morrill's public and private advocacy for the less-professional rules of the pre-World War II era led Minnesota to become the only Big Ten school to vote against the 3 most consequential conference decisions in the immediate post-war years: the legalization of athletic scholarships in 1949, and the 1946 and 1950 Rose Bowl deals.[13]

Return to prominence

[edit]

After some mediocre seasons throughout the remainder of the 1940s and 1950s, the Gophers rose back to prominence in 1960 with their seventh national championship (because polling ended after the regular season, the Gophers were crowned AP and UPI national champions despite losing the Rose Bowl to Washington). That national championship followed a 1–8 record in 1958 and 2–7 record in 1959. Minnesota played in bowl games the two following years as well, in 1961 and 1962. The Gophers earned their first berth in the Rose Bowl by winning the 1960 Big Ten title. The following year, Minnesota returned to Pasadena despite a second-place finish in the conference. The Ohio State Buckeyes, the Big Ten champions in 1961, declined an invitation to the Rose Bowl because of tension between academics and athletics at the school. Minnesota beat UCLA 21–3 to claim its first and only Rose Bowl victory. Minnesota's last Big Ten title was in 1967, tying the Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers atop the standings.

Recent history

[edit]
Amir Pinnix celebrates a touchdown with D.J. Burris on September 1, 2007
Goldy showing off his ring at a Gophers Football Game

After their 8–2 record in 1967, the Gophers did not win 8 games in a season again until they finished 8–4 in 1999.[14] Their 10–3 record in 2003 gave the Gophers their first 10 win season since 1905.

The 2006 team had the dubious distinction of blowing a 38–7 third-quarter lead in the Insight Bowl against Texas Tech, losing 44–41 in overtime. The collapse, which was the biggest in the history of Division I-A postseason football, directly led to the firing of head coach Glen Mason. On January 17, 2007, Tim Brewster was officially announced as the next head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.[15]

In 1981, the Gophers played their last game in Memorial Stadium and played their home games in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome until 2008. The Gophers moved back to campus with a 20–13 win against Air Force on September 12, 2009, when their new home, TCF Bank Stadium, opened.

In 2010, after a 1–6 record to start the season, the Gophers football head coach Tim Brewster was fired. Jeff Horton served as the interim head coach going 2–3. On December 6, 2010, Jerry Kill, former Northern Illinois University head coach, was hired to take over the University of Minnesota football program.[16]

In 2014, The Gophers reached an 8–4 record while going 5–3 in Big Ten games, falling just short of making the Big Ten Championship Game by losing to The Wisconsin Badgers in the season finale. After being revitalized in the Big Ten contention, The Gophers were awarded an appearance in the Citrus Bowl on January 1 against Missouri.

In 2018, the Gophers defeated the Badgers to reclaim Paul Bunyan's Axe and end a 14 season losing streak.

In 2019, the Gophers turned in a historic season, going 11-2 (7-2 in conference play)[17] including a home victory against No. 4 Penn State 31-26, their first victory over a top 5 team in 20 years.[18] The win also marked the first time since 1904 that the Gophers started out a season 9-0.[19]

The 91st battle for the Little Brown Jug between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Michigan Wolverines in the Metrodome

Conference affiliations

[edit]

All-time Big Ten records

[edit]
Team Won Lost Tied Pct. Streak First meeting Last meeting
Chicago Maroons 12 5 1 .694 Won 7 1895 1934
Illinois Fighting Illini 41 33 3 .552 Won 1 1898 2024
Indiana Hoosiers 40 26 3 .601 Won 4 1906 2021
Iowa Hawkeyes 63 52 2 .547 Lost 1 1891 2024
Maryland Terrapins 4 4 0 .500 Won 2 1977 2024
Michigan Wolverines 25 77 3 .252 Lost 4 1891 2023
Michigan State Spartans 19 30 0 .388 Won 2 1950 2023
Nebraska Cornhuskers 37 25 2 .578 Won 5 1900 2023
Northwestern Wildcats 55 37 5 .597 Lost 1 1892 2023
Ohio State Buckeyes 7 47 0 .130 Lost 12 1921 2023
Penn State Nittany Lions 6 10 0 .375 Lost 1 1993 2022
Purdue Boilermakers 41 35 3 .538 Lost 2 1894 2023
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 3 1 0 .750 Lost 1 2016 2024
Wisconsin Badgers 62 63 8 .496 Lost 1 1890 2023
406 436 35 .483

Championships

[edit]

National championships

[edit]

Minnesota has been selected nine times as national champions from NCAA-designated major selectors, including four (1936, 1940, 1941, and 1960) from the major wire-service: AP Poll and/or Coaches' Poll.[20][21]: 111–113  Minnesota claims seven (1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, and 1960) of these championships.[22]

Season Coach Selectors Record Bowl Result Final AP Final Coaches
1904 Henry L. Williams Billingsley 13–0 – –
1934 Bernie Bierman Billingsley, Boand, Dickinson, Football Research, Helms, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess) 8–0 – –
1935 Bernie Bierman Billingsley, Boand, Football Research, Helms, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling 8–0 – –
1936 Bernie Bierman AP, Billingsley, Dickinson, Dunkel, Helms, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling 7–1 No. 1 –
1940 Bernie Bierman AP, Berryman, Boand, DeVold, Dickinson, Football Research, Houlgate, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess) 8–0 No. 1 –
1941 Bernie Bierman AP, Billingsley, Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, Helms, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess) 8–0 No. 1 –
1960 Murray Warmath AP, FB News, NFF, UPI 8–2 Rose L 7–17 No. 1 No. 1

Toledo Cup

[edit]
Main article: Toledo Cup

The Gophers were the inaugural winners of the Toledo Cup national championship trophy in 1934 and repeated the feat in 1935 and 1936.[23] The poll's rules stated the traveling trophy would be retained permanently by the first team to win it three times; Bernie Bierman's teams completed the three-peat without any other team winning the cup.[24] The Toledo Cup is currently displayed in the lobby of the Gibson-Nagurski Athletic Center at the University of Minnesota.[23][24]

Rockne Memorial Trophy

[edit]
Main article: Dickinson System § Rockne Trophy

Minnesota won Dickinson System national championships in 1934, 1936, and 1940. The three wins gave them permanent possession of the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy, which had been introduced in 1931.[25] Following tradition, the university set their own new trophy into play and named it for former football coach Henry L. Williams.

With professor Frank Dickinson retiring from the ratings business, the new Williams Trophy was instead linked to the nascent AP Poll and served as the first AP Trophy.

Conference championships

[edit]

Minnesota has won 18 conference championships, 11 shared and 7 outright.

Season Coach Conference Overall Record Conference Record
1892 No coach Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest 5–0 3–0
1893 Wallace Winter Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest 6–0 3–0
1900† Henry L. Williams Western Conference 10–0–2 3–0–1
1903† Henry L. Williams Western Conference 14–0–1 3–0–1
1904† Henry L. Williams Western Conference 13–0 3–0
1906† Henry L. Williams Western Conference 4–1 2–0
1909 Henry L. Williams Western Conference 6–1 3–0
1910† Henry L. Williams Western Conference 6–1 2–0
1911 Henry L. Williams Western Conference 6–0–1 3–0–1
1915† Henry L. Williams Western Conference 6–0–1 3–0–1
1927† Clarence Spears Big Ten Conference 6–0–2 3–0–1
1933† Bernie Bierman Big Ten Conference 4–0–4 2–0–4
1934 Bernie Bierman Big Ten Conference 8–0 5–0
1935† Bernie Bierman Big Ten Conference 8–0 5–0
1937 Bernie Bierman Big Ten Conference 6–2 5–0
1938 Bernie Bierman Big Ten Conference 6–2 4–1
1940 Bernie Bierman Big Ten Conference 8–0 6–0
1941 Bernie Bierman Big Ten Conference 8–0 5–0
1960† Murray Warmath Big Ten Conference 8–2 6–1
1967† Murray Warmath Big Ten Conference 8–2 6–1

† Co-champions

Division championships

[edit]

Big Ten Football adopted divisions in 2011, with the winner of each division playing for the conference championship. The divisions were known as Legends and Leaders from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, the divisions were realigned geographically into East and West. Minnesota competes in the Big Ten West Division. Minnesota has shared one division title, in 2019.[2]

Season Division Coach Opponent CG result
2019† Big Ten – West P. J. Fleck N/A lost tiebreaker to Wisconsin

† Co-champions

Bowl games

[edit]
Main article: List of Minnesota Golden Gophers bowl games

Minnesota has played in 24 bowl games, amassing a record of 12–12.[26]

No. Season Coach Bowl Opponent Result
1 1960 Murray Warmath Rose Bowl Washington L 7–17
2 1961 Murray Warmath Rose Bowl UCLA W 21–3
3 1977 Cal Stoll Hall of Fame Classic Maryland L 6–21
4 1985 John Gutekunst Independence Bowl Clemson W 20–13
5 1986 John Gutekunst Liberty Bowl Tennessee L 14–21
6 1999 Glen Mason Sun Bowl Oregon L 20–24
7 2000 Glen Mason MicronPC.com Bowl NC State L 30–38
8 2002 Glen Mason Music City Bowl Arkansas W 29–14
9 2003 Glen Mason Sun Bowl Oregon W 31–30
10 2004 Glen Mason Music City Bowl Alabama W 20–16
11 2005 Glen Mason Music City Bowl Virginia L 31–34
12 2006 Glen Mason Insight Bowl Texas Tech L 41–44
13 2008 Tim Brewster Insight Bowl Kansas L 21–42
14 2009 Tim Brewster Insight Bowl Iowa State L 13–14
15 2012 Jerry Kill Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas Texas Tech L 31–34
16 2013 Jerry Kill Texas Bowl Syracuse L 17–21
17 2014 Jerry Kill Citrus Bowl Missouri L 17–33
18 2015 Tracy Claeys Quick Lane Bowl Central Michigan W 21–14
19 2016 Tracy Claeys Holiday Bowl Washington State W 17–12
20 2018 P. J. Fleck Quick Lane Bowl Georgia Tech W 34–10
21 2019 P. J. Fleck Outback Bowl Auburn W 31–24
22 2021 P. J. Fleck Guaranteed Rate Bowl West Virginia W 18–6
23 2022 P. J. Fleck Pinstripe Bowl Syracuse W 28–20
24 2023 P. J. Fleck Quick Lane Bowl Bowling Green W 30–24
25 2024 P. J. Fleck Duke's Mayo Bowl Virginia Tech Hokies TBD
Bowl record by game
Bowl Game # W L %
Citrus Bowl 1 0 1 .000
Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Insight Bowl) 4 1 3 .250
Hall of Fame Classic 1 0 1 .000
Holiday Bowl 1 1 0 1.000
Independence Bowl 1 1 0 1.000
Liberty Bowl 1 0 1 .000
MicronPC.com Bowl 1 0 1 .000
Music City Bowl 3 2 1 .666
Outback Bowl 1 1 0 1.000
Pinstripe Bowl 1 1 0 1.000
Quick Lane Bowl 3 3 0 1.000
Rose Bowl 2 1 1 .500
Sun Bowl 2 1 1 .500
Texas Bowl 2 0 2 .000

Head Coaches

[edit]
List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records[a]
No. Coach Years Season(s) GC OW OL OT O%
— No Coach 1 1882 2 1 1 0 .500
1 Thomas Peebles 1 1883 3 1 2 0 .333
— No Team 2 1884–1885 — — — — —
2 Frederick S. Jones 3 1886–1888 6 3 3 0 .500
3 Al McCord
D. W. McCord
Frank Heffelfinger
Billy Morse		 1 1889 4 3 1 0 .750
4 Tom Eck 1 1890 7 5 1 1 .786
5 Edward Moulton 1 1891 5 3 1 1 .700
— No Coach 1 1892 5 5 0 0 1.000
6 Wallace Winter 1 1893 6 6 0 0 1.000
7 Tom Cochrane Jr. 1 1894 4 3 1 0 .750
8 Pudge Heffelfinger 1 1895 10 7 3 0 .700
9 Alexander Jerrems 2 1896–1897 18 12 6 0 .667
10 Jack Minds 1 1898 9 4 5 0 .444
11 Jack Harrison
William C. Leary		 1 1899 11 6 3 2 .636
12 Henry L. Williams 22 1900–1921 180 136 33 11 .786
13 William H. Spaulding 3 1922–1924 22 11 7 4 .591
14 Clarence Spears 5 1925–1929 40 28 9 3 .738
15 Fritz Crisler 2 1930–1931 18 10 7 1 .583
16 Bernie Bierman 16 1932–1941
1945-1950		 134 93 35 6 .716
17 George Hauser 3 1942–1944 27 15 11 1 .574
18 Wes Fesler 3 1951–1953 27 10 13 4 .444
19 Murray Warmath 18 1954–1971 172 87 78 7 .526
20 Cal Stoll 7 1972–1978 78 39 39 0 .500
21 Joe Salem 5 1979–1983 55 19 35 1 .355
22 Lou Holtz 2 1984–1985 22 10 12 0 .455
23 John Gutekunst 6 1986–1991 67 29 36 2 .448
24 Jim Wacker 5 1992–1996 55 16 39 0 .291
25 Glen Mason 10 1997–2006 121 64 57 0 .529
26 Tim Brewster 4 2007–2010 45 15 30 — .333
Int Jeff Horton 1 2010 5 2 3 — .400
27 Jerry Kill 5 2011-2015 58 29 29 — .500
28 Tracy Claeys 2 2015-2016 19 11 8 — .579
29 P.J. Fleck 8 2017-Present 94 56 38 — .596

Rivalries

[edit]

Iowa

[edit]
Main article: Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry

The winner of the game is awarded the Floyd of Rosedale, 98 lb (44 kg) a bronze pig trophy. The trophy began in 1935, when, in an effort to deescalate tensions between the two teams and fan bases, Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson bet Iowa Governor Clyde L. Herring a prize hog against an Iowa prize hog that Minnesota would win the game. After Minnesota's victory, Governor Herring obtained a pig donated by Rosedale Farms and named the hog after Governor Olson, giving birth to Floyd of Rosedale. Minnesota leads the series with Iowa 63–52–2 through the 2023 season.[27]

Michigan

[edit]
Main article: Little Brown Jug (college football trophy)

The Michigan–Minnesota football rivalry is the first and oldest trophy game in college football history. The winner of the game is awarded the Little Brown Jug, a five-gallon earthenware jug. The jug was used by Michigan in the 1903 matchup to prevent Minnesota from tampering with its water supply, and, according to folklore, stolen from Michigan by a Minnesota custodian after the game. Michigan leads the series 77–25–3 with the last game played in 2023.[28]

Nebraska

[edit]
Main article: Minnesota–Nebraska football rivalry

The winner of the Minnesota-Nebraska game is awarded the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy, which is an unofficial trophy created by fans after a good-humored back and forth between the Twitter accounts for Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher and a parody account for then-head coach Bo Pelini. The trophy was officially rejected by both universities, although groups associated with each university continue to use the trophy as a fundraiser around the annual matchup. Minnesota leads the series with Nebraska 37–25–2 through the 2023 season.[29]

Wisconsin

[edit]
Main article: Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry

The Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry is the most-played rivalry in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The winner of the game receives Paul Bunyan's Axe, a tradition that started in 1948 after the first trophy, the Slab of Bacon, disappeared. Minnesota dominated the series for most of the first half of the 20th century, and Wisconsin similarly dominated the series from the early 1990s until 2018, accruing a 14-game win streak for the Badgers which gave Wisconsin its first-ever lead in the series in 2017. Wisconsin leads the series 63–62–8 through the 2023 season.[30]

Facilities

[edit]

Huntington Bank Stadium

[edit]

Huntington Bank Stadium is the football stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers college football team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 52,525-seat on-campus "horseshoe" style stadium is designed to support future expansion to seat up to 80,000 people, and cost $303.3 million to build. The stadium was the temporary home of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for the 2014 and 2015 seasons while U.S. Bank Stadium was being built.

TCF Bank Stadium, photographed from the corner of University Ave and Oak St

Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex

[edit]

The complex houses the team administrative offices, locker room, meeting rooms, equipment room, training room, and players’ lounges. It is named after Gopher teammates from the 1920s, George Gibson and Bronko Nagurski.

Former venues

[edit]
Gophers football inside the Metrodome

Individual award winners

[edit]
See also: Minnesota Golden Gophers football annual team awards

Retired numbers

[edit]
See also: List of NCAA football retired numbers

The Golden Gophers has retired three numbers.[31][32][33]

No. Player Position Career Date of Retirement
10 Paul Giel HB 1951–1953 September 24, 1991
54 Bruce Smith HB 1939–1941 June 27, 1977
72 Bronko Nagurski FB/T 1927–1929 October 27, 1979

Retired jerseys

[edit]

Additionally, the Golden Gophers have retired two jerseys. This honor is distinguished from "retired numbers" because the numbers of these players can be worn by any player normally.[33]

No. Player Position Career Date of Retirement
15 Sandy Stephens QB 1959–1961 November 18, 2000
78 Bobby Bell LB/DE 1960–1962 September 18, 2010

National

[edit]

Big Ten Conference

[edit]

College Football Hall of Famers

[edit]
T Carl Eller
FB/T Bronko Nagurski

Inductees as of 2024.[58][59]: 173 

Name Position(s) Inducted Years Ref.
Bert Baston E 1954 1914–1916 [60]
Bobby Bell T 1991 1960–1962 [61]
Bernie Bierman HC 1955 1932–1941
1945–1950 		[62]
Tom Brown G 2003 1958–1960 [63]
Fritz Crisler HC 1954 1930–1931 [64]
Carl Eller T 2006 1961–1963 [65]
George Franck HB 2002 1938–1940 [66]
Paul Giel HB 1975 1951–1953 [67]
Lou Holtz HC 2008 1984–1985 [68]
Herb Joesting FB 1954 1925–1927 [69]
Pug Lund HB 1958 1932–1934 [70]
Bobby Marshall E 1971 1904–1906 [71]
John McGovern QB 1966 1908–1910 [72]
Bronko Nagurski FB, T 1951 1927–1929 [73]
Leo Nomellini T, G 1977 1946–1949 [74]
Eddie Rogers E 1968 1900–1903 [75]
Bruce Smith HB 1972 1939–1941 [76]
Bob Stein DE 2020 1966–1968 [77]
Sandy Stephens QB 2011 1959–1961 [78]
Clayton Tonnemaker C 1980 1946–1949 [79]
Ed Widseth T 1954 1934–1936 [80]
Dick Wildung T 1957 1940–1942 [81]
Henry L. Williams HC 1951 1900–1921 [82]

Pro Football Hall of Famers

[edit]

Inductees as of 2017.[59]: 172 

Name Position(s) Class Team(s), Years
Bobby Bell DE, LB 1983 Kansas City Chiefs, 1963–1974
Tony Dungy Head Coach 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1996–2001
Indianapolis Colts, 2002–2008
Carl Eller DE 2004 Minnesota Vikings, 1964–1978
Seattle Seahawks, 1979
Bud Grant Head Coach 1994 Minnesota Vikings, 1967–1983, 1985
Bronko Nagurski FB 1963 Chicago Bears 1930–1937, 1943
Leo Nomellini DT 1969 San Francisco 49ers 1950–1963
Charlie Sanders TE 2007 Detroit Lions 1968–1977

Canadian Football Hall of Fame

[edit]

Inductees as of 2017.[83][84]

Name Position(s) Class Team(s), Years
Tom Brown DL 1984 BC Lions, 1961–1967
Bud Grant TE
Head Coach 		1983 Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 1953–1966

Current professional players

[edit]

NFL

[edit]
Golden Gophers in the NFL
NFL Draft selections
Total selected: 333
1st Round: 18
NFL achievements
Total Players: 215
Hall of Famers: 7
Source:[59]


List current as of May 19, 2024.[85]

Player Position Draft Class Current Team
Rashod Bateman WR 2021 Baltimore Ravens
Kyler Baugh DT Undrafted in 2024 New Orleans Saints
De'Vondre Campbell LB 2016 San Francisco 49ers
Blake Cashman LB 2019 Minnesota Vikings
Chris Collins LB Undrafted in 2024 Los Angeles Chargers
Carter Coughlin LB 2020 New York Giants
Corey Crooms WR Undrafted in 2024 Dallas Cowboys
Daniel Faalele T 2022 Baltimore Ravens
Jack Gibbens LB Undrafted in 2022 Tennessee Titans
Jordan Howden S 2023 New Orleans Saints
Tyler Johnson WR 2020 Los Angeles Rams
Ko Kieft TE 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Boye Mafe DE 2022 Seattle Seahawks
Eric Murray S 2016 Houston Texans
Tyler Nubin S 2024 New York Giants
Esezi Otomewo DE 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars
Thomas Rush LB Undrafted in 2023 Tennessee Titans
John Michael Schmitz C 2023 New York Giants
Terell Smith CB 2023 Chicago Bears
Brevyn Spann-Ford TE Undrafted in 2024 Dallas Cowboys
Benjamin St-Juste CB 2021 Washington Commanders
Damien Wilson LB 2015 Dallas Cowboys
Antoine Winfield Jr. S 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Other professional leagues

[edit]

[86]

Player Position Current Team League
Shannon Brooks RB Arizona Rattlers IFL
Chuck Filiaga OL San Antonio Brahmas UFL
Ryan Santoso K San Antonio Brahmas UFL
Drew Wolitarsky WR Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL

Other notable coaches and players

[edit]
WR Eric Decker

Future opponents

[edit]

Non-conference opponents

[edit]

Announced schedules as of October 11, 2022 [106]

No opponents currently scheduled for the 2029 and 2031 seasons.

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033
vs North Carolina vs Buffalo vs Eastern Illinois vs San Jose State vs North Dakota vs North Dakota vs Alabama at Alabama
vs Rhode Island vs Northwestern State vs Mississippi State at Mississippi State vs Bowling Green
vs Nevada at California vs Akron vs California

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "TCF Bank Stadium". CBSi Advanced Media. Minnesota Athletics Official Athletic Site: Football blog. September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "2020 Big Ten Football Media Guide" (PDF). Big Ten Conference. Big Ten Conference. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "The history of Gophers football trophy games". mndaily.com. August 4, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "Colors and Type | University Relations". Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  5. ^ "Gophersports.com :: University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site". www.gophersports.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  6. ^ "TCF Bank Stadium – University of Minnesota Athletics". Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  7. ^ "Being a Cheerleader - History of Cheerleading". Varsity Spirit. Varsity Spirit LLC. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  8. ^ "All Time Coaching Records". gophersports.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  9. ^ Turtinen (1981). Ralph (ed.). 100 Years of Golden Gophers Football. John Roberts.
  10. ^ Mary Mapes Dodge, St. Nicholas: A Monthly Magazine for Boys and Girls, Volume 42, Part 1, p. 43, 1915.
  11. ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/footba...s/2011/FBS.pdf – pp. 70–79
  12. ^ Madsen, Rob (Spring 2023). "The Cost of Conservatism: The University of Minnesota's Lofted Ideals and Fallen Football Teams". Journal of Sport History. 50 (1): 85–100.
  13. ^ Madsen, Rob (Spring 2023). "The Cost of Conservatism: The University of Minnesota's Lofted Ideals and Fallen Football Teams". Journal of Sport History. 50 (1): 85–100.
  14. ^ Gophers football history Archived October 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine ericthrall.com
  15. ^ Jeff Shelman, New U coach: Rose Bowl is the goal Archived January 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Star Tribune, January 17, 2007
  16. ^ "Brewster out after sixth loss". Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  17. ^ "2019 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  18. ^ Campbell, Dave (November 9, 2019). "Minnesota beats Penn State 31-26 in a battle of unbeatens, the Gophers' 1st win over a top-5 team in 20 years". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  19. ^ "One for the decades: Gophers stun Penn State, move to 9-0, set off a celebration". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  20. ^ Christopher J. Walsh (2007). Who's #1?: 100-Plus Years of Controversial National Champions in College Football. Taylor Trade Pub. pp. 79–81. ISBN 978-1-58979-337-8.
  21. ^ 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  22. ^ "Golden Gophers National Champions – University of Minnesota Athletics". University of Minnesota Athletics Department. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  23. ^ a b Briggs, David (January 8, 2023). "What if one of the greatest trophies in sports was named after Toledo? In college football, it once was". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Emerson, Seth (August 20, 2023). "College football's last 3-peat: The Minnesota national title history Georgia is chasing". The Athletic. Minneapolis. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  25. ^ Dickinson, Frank G. (February 1941). "Minnesota is the Top Team in Recent Ten Year Rankings". Dickinson's Football Ratings — from Grange to Harmon. Omaha, Nebraska: What's What Publishing Company. p. 4–5.
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