What To
Support
Golden Gopher Fund
Help support our mission of providing Gopher student-athletes with the resources they need to achieve academic and athletic excellence at the University of Minnesota and beyond. A gift to the Golden Gopher Fund allows us to comprehensively invest in our student-athletes academically, in their career and leadership development, providing mental heath resources, nutrition services, athletic performance, and more.
Donate Now To the golden gopher fund
Academic Success
- Prioritize academic excellence to ensure our student-athletes succeed in the classroom and graduate, prepared to take on their futures.
- Provide access to top-tier academic resources, personalized tutoring, and dedicated study spaces.
- Facilitate a holistic academic experience catered to each student-athletes' interests and needs.
Career Preparation & Leadership Development
- Land O' Lakes Center for Excellence Leadership Center
- Proactively support career readiness and planning through L.I.N.K. programming.
- L.I.N.K. represents:
- Leadership & Learning with the Leadership U program
- Inclusion & Innovation seen through our community service and work with diverse student leadership groups
- Networking with all the career services and opportunities we provide
- Knowledge to represent our "M" Club and the work we do to connect with student-athletes after they leave the university as letterwinners.
Athletic Medicine
- Safeguards our student-athletes' physical health with cutting-edge care and injury prevention.
- Provide top-flight medical care throughout the student-athlete's career.
- Supported by 20 full-time athletic training staff members
- Athletic Trainers work closely with team physicians, physical therapists, Athletic Performance staff, Sport Psychologists, Sports Nutrition staff, and multiple allied healthcare professions to provide comprehensive healthcare.
Mental health resources
- Sport Psychology offers counseling and mental skills training to Gopher student-athletes aimed to help student-athletes achieve their highest academic, athletic and personal aspirations.
- Key sessions include:
- Personal 1:1 Counseling
- Coaching and Team Consultations
- Mental health workshops and Other Wellbeing Classes
Sports nutrition
- Provide tailored, individualized nutritional strategies, critical for the high demands of a student-athlete.
- Deliver an evidence-based, sport-specific nutrition approach.
- Dietitians collaborate with coaches and medical staff to optimize health and performance.
- Part of a comprehensive team ensuring the well-being of all Gopher student-athletes.
Athletic performance
- Build resilient and powerful student-athletes equipped to face the rigors of competition.
- Offer individualized, year-round training programs for 22 sport programs.
- Program Priorities:
- Performance - Enhance the qualities relevant to athletic performance.
- Injury Reduction - Reduce the risk of injury and increase the speed recovery time.
- Resilience - Develop the qualities of focus, discipline, accountability, mindfulness, and competitiveness.
- Confidence - Develop confidence through consistent hard work and perseverance.
Sport-Specific
Giving
Investing in a team's enhancement fund allows our coaches to put funds toward helping their student-athletes and programs grow; sustaining championship-caliber performances.
Team enhancement funds
Set the foundation for success! Supporting a specific team is possible as every program has an enhancement fund. Investing in a team’s enhancement fund empowers coaches to go beyond meeting basic needs, directing resources toward opportunities that help their student-athletes and programs grow and sustain championship-level success. Competitive excellence in the Big Ten and the NCAA is only possible due to Golden Gopher Fund members supporting our teams through their enhancement funds.
Major Giving
Donor Communities
Golden Gopher Fund major giving donor communities are dedicated to building and sustaining excellence in our athletics programs. Supporters within each community are recongized through unique access and stewardship touchpoints with our programs and their student-athletes, coaches and staff. By joining one of our donor communities, you become an extension of the team and are directly involved in our current and future success. To join, members commit support of at least $50,000 to the programs they are most passionate about.
Elite fund
The Elite Fund donor community has helped the Gopher Football program reach new heights. Whether it's guest speakers and team outings or suits for every football player and recruiting trips, each of these items has helped us create our Elite culture. The Elite Fund is our annual resource to directly invest in our football student-athletes.
the Elite Fund has helped fund:
Student-Athlete Development Events
- Annual Career Fair
- Community Outreach at Masonic Children's Hospital
- Etiquette Dinner
- Alumni Night
- Guest Speakers
Team Building Events
- Attending a concert, water park or professional sporting event
Facility Improvements & Equipment
Head and Assistant Coach Recruiting Travel & Professional Development
Friends of the barn
The Barn has been the home of Gopher Men's Basketball for generations — a place where tradition meets passion. The Friends of the Barn donor community is dedicated to creating change in our men's basketball program and provide resources to directly invest into our men's basketball student-athletes.
Friends of the Barn has helped fund:
Student-Athlete Development Events
- Community Outreach
- Guest Speakers
- Alumni Night
Team Travel & Charter Flights
Facility Improvements & Equipment
Head and Assistant Coach Recruiting Travel & Professional Development
Student Manager Scholarship
Pride on Ice
For more than a century, Gopher Men's Hockey has set the standard in college hockey — with legendary players, unforgettable moments, and a tradition of excellence that inspires fans today. Pride On Ice represents more than just championships; it's the culture, passion, and commitment that define Gopher Hockey.
Pride on ice has helped fund:
Student-Athlete Development Events
- Community Outreach
- Guest Speakers
- Alumni Events
Team Building Events & Outings
Team Travel, Charter Flights & Training Trips
Student-Athlete Nutrition
Facility Improvements, Equipment & Technology
Head and Assistant Coach Recruiting Travel & Professional Development
Point U
Few programs in the nation match the energy, tradition, and success of Gopher Volleyball. From packed crowds at Maturi Pavilion to national championship runs, “Point U!” is more than a rallying cry — it's the spirit of a program built on excellence.
Point u has helped fund:
Student-Athlete Development Events
- Community Outreach
- Guest Speakers
- Alumni Events
Team Building Events & Outings
Team Travel, Charter Flights & Training Trips
Student-Athlete Nutrition
Head and Assistant Coach Recruiting Travel & Professional Development
Legacy fund
Gopher Women's Basketball is building a program that honors its proud history while shaping a bold future. The Legacy Fund is your opportunity to invest directly in that journey and our women's basketball student-athletes.
Legacy fund has helped fund:
Student-Athlete Development Events
- Community Outreach
- Guest Speakers
- Alumni Events
- Suited for Success & Leadership Training
Team Building Events & Outings
Team Travel, Charter Flights & Training Trips
Student-Athlete Nutrition
Facility Improvements, Equipment & Technology
Head and Assistant Coach Recruiting Travel & Professional Development
Student Manager Scholarship
Ridder circle
Gopher Women's Hockey has set the standard as one of the greatest programs in women's college hockey. Built on a legacy of toughness, devotion, discipline and being grateful for what we have, but greatness does not happen alone. The Ridder Circle donor community is dedicated to providing championship-level resources for our women's hockey program.
Ridder circle has helped fund:
Student-Athlete Development Events
- Community Outreach
- Guest Speakers
- Alumni Events
Team Building Events & Outings
Team Travel & Charter Flights
Facility Improvements & Equipment
Head and Assistant Coach Recruiting Travel & Professional Development
Member
Recognition & Events
The Golden Gopher Fund offers exclusive and unique stewardship event opportunities for major Gopher Athletics supporters.
From the opportunity for Elite Fund members to celebrate National Signing Day with the Gopher Football staff, to Friends of the Barn and Legacy Fund members participating in outings around the Twin Cities with Coach Medved and Coach Plitzuweit, to connecting scholarship donors with their student-athlete recipients at the annual Golden Gopher Fund Scholarship Banquet — our staff and head coaches ensure that Golden Gopher Fund supporters remain connected and engaged throughout the year.
