Lookout Big Ten because here comes the Minnesota Golden Gophers. For years, the Gophers were overlooked, and cheap Minnesota football tickets were widely available. But it looks like those days might be over. Under head coach P.J. Fleck, Minnesota is now a program on the rise, with aspirations of becoming a national power on the same level as some of the Big Ten’s other heavyweights. All of a sudden, last-minute Minnesota football tickets are in high demand, and the Golden Gophers are a team to watch closely.

Early Dominance

The Golden Gophers were one of the early powerhouse programs in Big Ten history. Between 1900 and 1915, UMN won at least a share of the conference championship eight times. The Golden Gophers had five undefeated seasons during that stretch, including a 13-0 campaign in 1904 for which UMN was recognized as the national champion.

Feel the Bern

UMN also had a golden era during the 1930s and 40s under head coach Bernie Bierman. During his first 10-year stint at UMN, Bierman led the Golden Gophers to seven Big Ten titles and five national championships, including a three-peat from 1934 to 1936 and back-to-back titles in 1940 and 1941.

21st Century Rebound

Outside of a national championship in 1960, UMN had limited success during the latter part of the 20th century. Between 1978 and 1998, the Golden Gophers received just two bowl game invitations and had just five winning seasons. But after head coach Glen Mason started to turn things around in the late 90s, UMN has been a perennial bowl team. Slowly but surely, the Golden Gophers worked their way up the Big Ten hierarchy, culminating in an 11-2 season in 2019 that ended with UMN ranked in the top-10 for the first time in over 50 years, perhaps signaling another golden era for the Golden Gophers.