.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
Camp Blog: Gopher Kick-Off Luncheon
8/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
For those of us in Minnesota who are eagerly anticipating the beginning of the college football season and feeling like it is still too far away, there was a good sign today. The annual Golden Gopher Football Kick-Off Luncheon, presented by the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Goal Line Club, was held Wednesday at TCF Bank Stadium.
The Golden Gopher Kick-Off Luncheon is just one more sign that our long wait for Gopher football is almost over. The event was extra special this year, as it was held at TCF Bank Stadium in the DQ Club Room. In fact, the luncheon was so well-attended that the 20,000-square-foot DQ Club Room couldn’t accommodate everyone and a portion of the crowd was seated in the upstairs club room at TCF Bank Stadium on the sixth level.
The event got off to a rousing start (no pun intended) with the Minnesota Dance Team and members of the Marching Band kicking things off with The Rouser. More than 30 Golden Gopher players were in attendance and were introduced to the crowd, as were Minnesota’s assistant coaches.
Following lunch, Master of Ceremonies Dave Mona brought each of the six captains on stage for a short question-and-answer session. Head coach Tim Brewster then addressed the audience. Coach Brewster challenged the fans in attendance and the rest of Gopher Nation to make TCF Bank Stadium a true home-field advantage.
“We’ve got seven home games this season,” Brewster said. “Seven opportunities at TCF Bank Stadium for you fans to be the 12th man. That’s my challenge to you, my challenge to Gopher Nation - let’s make it miserable on our opponents. Let’s make it miserable.”
Brewster spoke for the entire team when he said how much he was looking forward to the season-opener, Sept. 5 at Syracuse. There is an awful lot of excitement about Sept. 12 and the opening game at TCF Bank Stadium, but Coach Brewster and his team are squarely focused on the Orange.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Sept. 5th,” Brewster said. “Let’s hold off on the 12th. Let’s understand that we’ve got a job to do on Sept. 5th. On the 4th, we’re going to take a group of young men that are motivated, that are chomping at the bit and ready to go to work on Sept. 5th. We’re going to fly east on the 4th and the only thing that matters to the Gopher Nation, the only thing that matters, is we’re 1-0 at the end of the day on Sept. 5th.”
Then, Brewster said, the time will have come “for football to come back home, back on campus.”
One other highlight to the event was the ceremonial handing over of the key to TCF Bank Stadium from representatives of Mortenson Construction to Minnesota Director of Athletics Joel Maturi.
“I’m just going to accept this on behalf of President (Bob) Bruininks -- and quite frankly, not all of you, but all of Minnesota,” Maturi said.
The key presentation was a great way to wrap up a great event which brings us that much closer to 12:02 p.m. ET on Sept. 5, when the Golden Gopher season will finally get under way.
For those of you who read the Camp Blog for information regarding the team’s activities, the Gophers will practice at 3:45 p.m. this afternoon. They are scheduled to work out until about 6:15 p.m. The team will keep that schedule the remainder of this week, before getting the weekend off to prepare for game week and more preparations for Syracuse.
-Andy Seeley
