Gophers 101 — a Minnesota Gophers Podcast

More high school hoops stars have chosen the Wisconsin Badgers over the Minnesota Gophers in recent days. Big deal or not a big deal? Ross Brendel and Manny Hill debate the importance of “closing the border” and keeping Minnesota kids in state. The boys also look ahead to a possible starting 5 next season for the Gopher men and salute an MLB All-Star in former Golden Gopher, Max Meyer.  See P...

Minnesota Golden Gophers Athletics Director Mark Coyle had an extended interview with KSTP-TV’s and SKOR North’s Darren Doogie Wolfson late last week. Ross Brendel and Manny Hill playback many portions of the interview with the Gophers AD as he essentially offered up a “state of the state” on Gophers athletics. The interview was wide ranging and covered all the topics important to Gophers fans. SH...

What a week for the Minnesota Gophers! Both Mark Coyle and Dawn Plitzuweit have new contract extensions. The Gophers have finally scheduled games with St. Thomas in both men’s and woman’s basketball. Williams Arena, at least by name, is no more. Welcome to “The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota”. Ross Brendel and Manny Hill are back for Gophers 101! See Privacy Policy at https:/...

It may only be late May but why not look ahead to fall and predict what the 2026 Minnesota Gophers football season might look like. That’s exactly what Ross and Manny do. The boys also redo college football’s power four conferences to their liking with a focus on regionality.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sel...

Will the Minnesota Gophers soon need a new Athletic Director? Would Mark Coyle leave the Gophers for Kentucky and would Kentucky even be interested in his services? How about Drake Lindsey as a top 5 pick in next year’s NFL Draft? One “insider” believes it could be a possibility! Ross Brendel is joined by Darren “Doogie” Wolfson as the two dive deep into a Mark Coyle and Kentucky connection, Drake...

Minnesota Gophers Quarterback Drake Lindsey was arrested early Friday morning and charged with underage possession of alcohol and possessing fake identification in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Is this a big deal for the Minnesota Gophers QB or not? What punishment should Drake receive from the University and does this impact the team on the field in any way?  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.co...

The Minnesota Gophers take to Huntington Bank Stadium this Saturday for the almost annual spring game. The game is free to the public and will provide an early look at the 2026 Gophers. Daniel House from Gophers Guru joins Ross and Manny to discuss spring practice and the upcoming game. How does the roster look and what does Drake Lindsey’s progression look like so far this offseason. Daniel also...

The Wisconsin Badgers lost in the NCAA Championship on Saturday night to Denver in hockey. As a Gophers fan, is it okay to celebrate Wisconsin’s “failure” even if our favorite team has been done playing for over a month? Can the Gophers be in the national championship next year under Brett Larson? Is Cade Tyson going to be drafted in the upcoming NBA Draft? Finally, the Spring Game is just days aw...

What a day in college basketball. Not only was last night the national championship game, but North Carolina has a new head coach in NBA champion Michael Malone. Ross and Manny lay out why they like the move for North Carolina but also what the move means for college athletics and the Minnesota Gophers. The boys also get into the overall health of the revenue making sports at the University of Min...

The Minnesota Gophers have exited the NCAA Women’s Tournament after falling to UCLA this past Friday night. What’s next for women’s hoops at the University of Minnesota? Can the Gophers eventually become a woman’s powerhouse in college basketball? The Cinderella story is a rarity in the women’s game, and it appears to be a thing of the past in the men’s game. Is it gone forever? Finally, happy Col...

The Minnesota Gophers announced on Tuesday that they have a brand-new men’s hockey coach in Brett Larson from St. Cloud State University. Despite a recent dry spell at SCSU is he actually the best man for the job? How soon will Brett need to win a National Championship with the Minnesota Gophers before he is on the hot seat? The Gopher woman also has a brand-new coach in Greg “Boom” May. We know h...

SKOR North continues to mourn the loss of our friend and coworker Jessi Pierce along with her three adorable children. Ross starts the show by sharing his thoughts on Jessi and her family, before moving onto something she cared deeply about. Woman’s athletics. Ross and Manny break down the Gophers victory over Ole Miss to move onto the Women’s NCAA Sweet 16! Why is advancing to the Sweet 16 so imp...

The University of Minnesota and men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko announced on Wednesday that they have mutually agreed to part ways. This comes on the heels of the announcement that Brad Frost will not return to the women’s program. What is going on with the hockey programs at the University of Minnesota and what type of coach will the Minnesota Gophers be looking for to lead their men’s program star...

Both the men’s and women’s Gopher basketball teams are off to postseason play. The Minnesota Gopher women will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament as a 4 seed beginning on Friday when they take on Green Bay. The Gopher men will play in the second annual College Basketball Crown with their first game on April 1st against the Baylor Bears. Ross Brendel and Manny Hill discuss both teams’...

The Minnesota Gophers completed their first regular season under Niko Medved last night with a nail-biting win over Northwestern to finish 8-12 and in 11th place in the conference. Ross Brendel and Manny Hill attempt to give Niko Medved and the Gophers a letter grade on year one as they head towards the Big Ten tournament and possible further postseason play in the CROWN or NIT. The Minnesota Gold...

The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team continues to build momentum and success in year one of Niko Medved after Saturday’s big win at The Barn over UCLA. The Minnesota Gophers are in the mix for The Crown tournament and maybe even the NIT should they so choose. The Gophers appear to be building towards a possible NCAA Tournament appearance next year. Can they get it done? Plus, the Gopher wom...

What a day for USA Men’s Hockey including former Minnesota Gophers Brock Faber and Jackson LaCombe who are now proud owners of Olympic gold medals after USA defeated Canada in the gold medal game. How about Gophers women’s hoops? They may end up hosting opening round play of the NCAA Tournament with a few more big wins. Finally, props to the men who have now won back-to-back games for the first ti...

The Big Ten has circulated an internal document that supports a 24-team college football playoff format. When is enough enough when it comes to the number of teams in the CFP? What would expansion mean for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Big Ten? Manny and Ross discuss. The Minnesota Gophers women’s basketball team is a near lock for the NCAA tournament while the men continue to limp to the f...

Minnesota Gophers head football coach P.J. Fleck will have a brand-new amended contract later this week that will increase bonus potential and retention bonuses along with the introduction of a new “management bonus.” Ross Brendel and Manny Hill discuss the amended contract and why it does or does not matter. The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team picked up a BIG win this week over #10 Michig...

The Minnesota Gophers officially know when and where they will play their opponents in the 2026 football season. Will their Minnesota Gophers improve upon last season 7-5 regular season? The Gophers men’s hoops squad enters the back half of their regular season schedule today. What does success look like the rest of the season? Finally, do fans really want to move on from Bob Motzko as the Gopher...

The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team continued their biggest slide so far of the 2025/2026 season as losers of now five games in a row after falling to Nebraska on Saturday. The Gophers do continue to play hard and competitive, so that’s a good thing. How does year one of Niko Medved rank in comparison to year one of Ben Johnson with the Gophers. Finally, what are some of our favorite Minne...

Tough week for the Minnesota Gophers basketball squad with a buzzer beating loss to the Wisconsin Badgers and a 10-point loss on the road at Illinois. The Gophers are now on a 3-game losing streak and the depth issue appears to be rearing its ugly head. How good can the 2025-2026 Minnesota Gophers still be and do results even matter? Ross Brendel and Manny Hill also welcome back former Minnes...

The Minnesota Gophers suffered a tough loss on Friday night to USC but overall, there is a lot to like early on in Big Ten Conference play from these Minnesota Golden Gophers. Cade Tyson is awesome. Isaac Asuma is developing into a legit Big Ten player. The Minnesota Gophers are winning basketball games and competing at a high level! Ross Brendel and Manny Hill break down what they like and what t...

What a nice win for the Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team this past Saturday night in Evanston against Northwestern! Is the Minnesota Gophers early season Big Ten success sustainable? Just how good of a player is Cade Tyson and can the Gophers increase their depth during the season? For the football team, Koi Perich has entered the transfer portal. If he’s not back in 2026, is it all doom an...

The Minnesota Gophers beat New Mexico in the 2025 Rate Bowl by a final of 20-17. P.J. Fleck is now 7-0 in bowl games at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Gophers finish the season with at least 8 wins for the fourth time in five years. The Minnesota Gophers were led offensively by Jalen Smith who had 6 catches for 64 yards with two great TD receptions. In postgame, star defensive linem...