University of Minnesota Athletics
Goldy's Mailbag - Jan. 13, 2011
1/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Welcome to the first installment of Goldy's Mailbag. This is your chance to get your questions answered about anything and everything related to Golden Gopher Athletics! Submit your question for next week's Mailbag!
Are the football schedule-makers working on any potential matchups with ACC teams? As an alum banished to Hokie Country, it would be awesome to see my Gophers out here on the East Coast! - Erik, Lynchburg, Va.
Thanks for the question Erik. Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 7, 2013 when Minnesota heads to ACC country to take on North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Tarheels will return the favor with a game at TCF Bank Stadium in 2014. You can check out the sightlines at Kenan Stadium at this link.
Those games will be the first against an ACC opponent since Minnesota met Virginia in the 2005 Music City Bowl. The Golden Gophers have played just five ACC opponents with four of those coming in bowl games.
I tracked down Senior Associate Athletics Director Marc Ryan to get an update. Marc works with the football coaches and Joel Maturi to fill out the non-conference schedules. The schedules are filled though 2016, but with the expansion of the Big Ten to 12 teams, there has been discussion about expanding the conference slate to nine games. Until that decision has been made, future scheduling is currently in a holding pattern. Follow this link to check out future schedules (use pulldown menu on top right of the page). Road trips to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chapel Hill, N.C. in the next three years sound pretty good to me.
What happens to the hats that get thrown on the ice for hat tricks at Mariucci? - Josh, Excelsior, Minn.
A question pondered by hockey fans for ages! According to facility manager Craig Flor, when a Golden Gopher scores a hat trick, the hats are collected and held in the zamboni area until the end of the game. A fan can venture down to that area and give a description of their hat to reclaim it. Following the game, the hats are put in a bag and put in the locker room.
I personally like what the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL do with the hats. They created a see-through case in the concourse of their arena where they put all the hats that have been thrown on the ice over the years.
Everyone's talking about Nebraska playing football in the Big Ten next year, but how has the men's basketball team fared against the Cornhuskers in the past? - Kyle, Mason City, Iowa
Much like the Gopher football team, the Gopher basketball team has a rich history against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Minnesota is 46-13 all-time in the series, but Nebraska has won six of the last 11 meetings. The two teams last met on Dec. 8, 2004 in Lincoln, Neb., as Minnesota claimed a 57-48 victory. The Golden Gophers were down 26-17 in the first half, but rallied behind Vincent Grier's 17 points and eight rebounds.
Looking ahead, Nebraska is currently 13-3 on the season following its 77-69 loss at No. 12 Missouri last night. In the fall of 2013, Nebraska will move into a brand new arena in downtown Lincoln. You can see a virtual tour by clicking this link.
Is there a way that I can get the Big Ten's intended coverage of the Gopher Baseball season? - Robert, New Richmond, Wis.
Hi Robert, thanks for the question. In the previous two years, the Big Ten Network has announced its baseball broadcast schedule in mid-February. Around the same time, they will announce the games that will be available via BigTenNetwork.com.
I dropped by the baseball office to get an update on the re-scheduling of its home games due to the collapse of the Metrodome. The majority of the Golden Gophers' pre-Big Ten schedule has been finalized while the biggest uncertainty is the availability of the Metrodome for its Big Ten schedule. The coaches expect an update on the repairs within the next two weeks. If the Metrodome is available, the games will go on as scheduled. If the Metrodome is not available, they are confident at this point that they will be able to play its full slate of home games scheduled for late-March through May in the Twin Cities. The revised schedule will be released as soon as all details are finalized so stay tuned to Gophersports.com.
On a related note, the "Bottom of the 9th", an event to promote a new home for Golden Gopher baseball, will be held at TCF Bank Stadium on Friday, Feb. 4. Paul Molitor and Dave Winfield will be the key note speakers. Learn more at this link.
Will Red Panda be performing this year at any basketball games? That act is GREAT!! I think you should try it sometimes! - Jon, Minneapolis, Minn.
An acrobat on a seven-foot unicycle kicking an ever-growing number of bowls with her feet so they land on top of her head, you say? Sign me up!
Yes, Krystal the Red Panda Acrobat is scheduled to perform at halftime of the Golden Gopher men's basketball game against Michigan State on Tuesday, February 22. Click here to purchase tickets.
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