University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Athletics Timeline (1970-1979)
1970
Baseball program wins the Big Ten regular season title for the third straight season.
1971
Garry Bjorklund wins Minnesota’s first NCAA track event national title. He wins the NCAA 6-mile title. Bjorklund also wins his third straight Big Ten cross country title and earns runner-up honors at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the best finish in school history.
The University officially recognizes Women’s Athletics and gives the program a budget of $5,000.
1971
Legendary football and baseball star Paul Giel returns to campus as men’s athletics director, a position he would hold until 1988.
1972
Title IX amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 was passed requiring college and universities to provide equal opportunity to male and female student-athletes, leading to expansion of collegiate athletics opportunities for women.
1972
Craig Lincoln wins the NCAA 3-meter diving title and later that year wins a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Munich.
1972
Minnesota earns berth in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for the first time.
1973
Minnesota reaches the College World Series for the first time since 1964 and David Winfield earns Most Outstanding Player honors as a pitcher and hitter.
1974
Minnesota wins its first NCAA men’s hockey title under head coach Herb Brooks, defeating Michigan Tech, 4-2, in the title game.
1974
Terry Ganley becomes Minnesota’s first female All-American, earning honors in women’s swimming (100 backstroke). She would later become an assistant coach at the U of M and co-head coach of the women’s program in 2004.
Several women’s programs begin varsity competition including crew, field hockey, volleyball and cross country.
1975
Minnesota forms its Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Department, which operates parallel to men’s programs. Women’s tennis coach Belmar Gunderson (left) is hired as the first athletics director. Gunderson had previously served as the intramural and extramural director and as a physical education instructor.
1976
Dr. Vivian Barfield is hired as the women’s athletics director, a position she held for five years.
1976
The men’s hockey program wins its second national title, defeating Michigan Tech 4-2 in the championship game in Boston.
1977
Minnesota reaches the College World Series, led by All-American and future National Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Molitor. Minnesota goes 39-12 and an astounding 26-0 at home.
1978
The same season Mychal Thompson closes his Gophers hoops career as the all-time leader in points and rebounds – he was selected first overall in the NBA draft.
1978
Tim LaFleur wins the Nissen-Emery Award as the nation’s top senior gymnast.
1978
Field hockey records a program-best 20-5-1 record.
1979
Minnesota wins its third NCAA men’s hockey title in six years, defeating North Dakota 4-3 in the championship game.