Gopher The Roses

TCF Bank Stadium Tour Pictures

Back on July 31st, 2009 I was invited to be part of a tour group of the new TCF Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team (marching band too).

Maybe I was included because of my involvement on the Tailgate Committee (a subcommittee of Gopher Game Day), my volunteer activities on and near campus, my 27 years years as a season ticket holder or maybe because the squeaky wheel made enough noise.

I was not shy about my wanting to get in on a tour and I want to thank my friends at the university and athletic department for including me.

Phil Esten, Associate Athletic Director, gave the tour and to be honest I remember very little of what he said. I was too jacked up, taking pictures and trying to take it all in. Someone said (and I agree) that I was the little kid in the group.

What follows are many of the 100+ photos I took that day:

TCF Bank Stadium: New Home For The University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers Football Team

Originally posted at MN Headhunter

M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A

Minnesota

Minnesota

yyyyeeeeaaAAAAHHHH!!!!! Gophers

Rah!!!

OK, it has been a really long time since I posted anything about Minnesota Golden Gopher Football here. When I started this blog 4+ years ago Gopher football was a part of it but for some it was annoying. Especially after then Head Coach Glen Mason was fired and through the hiring of current Head Coach Tim Brewster.

I blogged more about the head coach job search than my day job.

Bob And Richard “Pinky” McNamara Raising Money For TCF Bank Stadium

There are a lot of individuals, small groups of alumni, and those generally interested in Gopher football raising money for TCF Bank Stadium.

This is a great article on the well known brothers who have played for, supported, served, donated and raised money for athletic and academic interests.

I always wondered how “Pinky” got his name:

"Our family didn't have any money, obviously," Bob said. "Pinky had a pair of red corduroys. If you wash red corduroys often enough, they become pink. The neighbor kids gave him the nickname because of those cords.

Click Key stadium players count the days for more.

(Articles from the Minneapolis Star Tribune may require a free subscription and may be archived by the source after 2 weeks)

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Golden Gopher Football, TCF Bank Stadium

New Gopher Football Blog Design

3+ months ago I posted that an update was coming. My business responsibilities and business blog MN Headhunter have kept me really busy this spring and into the summer and I was not able to get back here as I had planned.

It has been on my mind and I started working on it this evening.

You see a new layout that will help organize different links, categories, etc.

You will also find a rather plain looking (for now) but neat countdown clock for the first game at TCF Bank Stadium. As I type this we are 804 days away.

I will be catching up on content from this spring and summer. I will also be adding a blog roll(s) for the Big Ten and other conferences.

Stay tuned...

Technorati Tags: Gopher Football, Minnesota, Blog

TCF Bank Stadium Could Host Olympic Soccer in 2016

The new stadium will not be used just for Gopher football and now you can add the possibility of Olympic soccer, New football stadium might help U host 2016 Olympic soccer.

TCF Bank Stadium Plans Finalized

I attended the open house on January 3^rd held by the university to unveil the plans of the new stadium. Up until now the drawings were a concept, something to show people what could be.

   

Now we know what will be including an extra $40 million dollar price tag. From what I saw and heard, it is worth spending.

   

Attending the event were university administrators, donors, alumni, Goal Line Club members, students, and city leaders.

   

Regents OK pricier stadium and Stadium projected cost list some of the amenities and why the extra cost. Much of the cost comes now to lay the ground work to one day build out the open end fo the stadium. Put the foundation in now while doing construction will be less expensive than doing it in future years.

   

GopherSports.com has this link to the press conference and more photos, Designs for TCF Bank Stadium Released to the Public.

   

I was happy to see a facility that will have some of the character of Memorial Stadium. Besides the home of Gopher football it will also be the home of the marching band, which has “lived” in the basement of Northrop Auditorium for decades. Concerts, recreation sports, and graduation ceremonies will also be held on site.

   

I heard from one person who attended the meeting with the board of regents that a moment that drew one of the best reactions, comical might be a better word, was when it was mentioned that there would be a 50% increase in the number of women’s bathrooms as compared to the Metrodome.

TCF Bank Gopher Football Stadium Update

There have been a few news items in the past month on the progress of the stadium. For starters the university web page has a new look. Or at least it has since the last time I was there, TCF Bank Stadium. They have added a construction page to keep everyone up to date on their progress, which includes notes on road and parking changes, TCF Bank Stadium Construction.

   

There is a blog, Stadium Blog, but it has not been updated in a while.

   

On December 6^th there was good news regarding the bond sale by the state. With a better interest rate taxpayers will $28.4 million less than we had planned, TCF Bank Stadium bond sale saves state $28.4 million.

   

Then a couple of days later we hear that the stadium could cost 6% - 8% more for a reinforced foundation, Gophers' stadium costs expected to rise. We all knew the water table is shallow in the area but I guess it closer to ground level in that area.

   

In case you are wondering there is an underground creek(s) in the area and rather than the stadium being dug into the ground it is being built up.

   

There have been quite a few buildings demolished near the stadium site and adjacent to the Station 19 building.

   

Finally there is this announcement for an open house next week which I will be attending, Get a Look at the Future Home of Gopher Football at an Open House on January 3. On that page you will see the top link is to a construction web cam. I had not mentioned it yet because the view is only of the stadium site itself, which is still being used as a parking lot. Other than cars coming and going or the occasional squirrel running around there is not much to look at.

Ground Breaking For New Gopher Football Stadium, Posted Ocotber 4 2006

What a beautiful day it was for the football passing (it was a handoff actually) from the Metrodome, started by former Gopher Coach Murray Warmath, to the new location on the corner of 4^th and Oak Streets where two young kids received the ball.

   

Very cool way to do it.

   

I think the last number I heard was around 280 ball carriers in all with a few thousand more along the route and at the new site of the TCF Bank Stadium.

   

The day started off by getting my official t-shirt and “Ball Carrier” pass. I was representing the Minnesota Greek Alumni Partnership (MGAP), an umbrella group for the fraternity and sorority house corporations and alumni groups.

   

My friend Jason and his son Conner were also ball carriers and he volunteered as part of the Goal Line Club.

   

We headed over to the mall area where our area was. The mall is in the middle of campus and I took these two pictures of Northrop Auditorium on the north end of the mall and Coffman Union on the south end:

   

   

   

   

   

Jason and Conner were two spots before me and I was able to get this picture of them with the ball:

   

   

   

   

   

Here I am with the official ball and my MGAP friends:

   

   

   

   

   

After passing the ball on we were able to get a picture of a group of students and Greek alumni:

   

   

   

   

   

On to the new stadium location with the University of Minnesota Marching Band:

   

   

   

   

   

Coach Glen Mason with a booster:

   

   

   

   

   

The program featured many speakers including President Bruininks:

   

   

   

   

   

The first “shovel” and Goldy supervising:

   

   

   

   

   

Need to get one of these signs:

   

   

   

   

   

After the ceremony Jason, Conner and I took a walk over to the McNamara Alumni Center, part of which is built on the site that was once Memorial Stadium. Inside there is one of the arches from Memorial Stadium, known as the Brickhouse:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Also there is a history of the university, alumni, and information on the new stadium. I have seen the artist rendition of the proposed stadium many times but only during this look at it did I notice the scoreboard:

   

   

   

   

   

I was hoping this was a good sign of the game later that day.

   

Three years seems like a long time to wait but I guess I have been waiting since 1982 so this is the home stretch.

TCF Bank Stadium Ground Breaking, Posted September 29 2006

Beginning at 12:30 pm a handoff of a football will start at the Metrodome (the current home of Gopher football) and head down Washington Ave towards campus. The ball will take a left on Oak Street and end up at 4^th Street and the Gopher Lot.

   

This area will be the future home of TCF Bank Stadium, the new home of Gopher football.

   

From 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm a program consisting of speakers from the university, performances by the band, dance and cheer teams, and an appearance by Goldy Gopher will be part of the ceremonies. Personally, I just want to see the shovels hit the ground. That will be the highlight of the event.

   

As part of the football relay I get to participate representing the Minnesota Greek Alumni Partnership (MGAP).. I am in the area in front of Kolthoff Hall, which is adjacent to the mall.

   

This is going to be a fun day…