University of Minnesota Athletics
Ray Christensen - M Club Hall of Fame
Ray Christensen
Distinguished Service Award
HOF Class of 1995
The name Ray Christensen became synonymous with Golden Gopher sports over the more than a half-century he was behind the microphone broadcasting games.
Christensen attended the U of M during the 1940s, and began his radio broadcast career in 1946 for the University radio station. He began broadcasting Gopher football games in 1951, and Minnesota basketball games in 1956. By 2001, when he retired, he had called more than 1,300 basketball games and 510 football games, through his play-by-play and color commentary becoming an icon for both the Gophers and WCCO Radio.
His career also included broadcasting games for the Minneapolis Lakers, St. Paul Saints, Minneapolis Millers, Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings.
At his retirement, Christensen authored “Gopher Tales,” a book of his Minnesota sports memories.