Sports in Minnesota
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Minnesota has a team in all four major professional leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL), and has a university that is part of the oldest major college conference still running (Big Ten).
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[edit] Professional Sports
[edit] Baseball
The Minnesota Twins are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team that moved to Minnesota in 1961 from Washington D.C.,<ref>Twins Timeline. MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref> where they were known as the Washington Senators. The Twins have played their home games at the Metrodome in Minneapolis since 1982. They have been to the World Series in 1965, 1987, and 1991, winning in 1987 and 1991. In 2001, the Twins were threatened with contraction along with the Montreal Expos.<ref>ESPN.com Selig says baseball will try again in 2003. ESPN Baseball. ESPN (2002-02-13). Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> They made it to the ALCS in 2002. Notable current and former Twins include Kirby Puckett, Bert Blyleven, Harmon Killebrew, Paul Molitor, Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter, Eddie Guardado, David Ortiz, A.J. Pierzynski, Corey Koskie, and Kent Hrbek.
The St. Paul Saints are an American Association team. The team was formerly of the Northern League. The team was founded in 1993 as an inaugural team in the league. They won the Northern League Championship in 1993, 1995, 1996, and in 2004.<ref>Tyler, Wm R. (2006). nlfan.com St. Paul Saints. nlfan. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> Notable current and former players include Kevin Millar, Darryl Strawberry, Jack Morris, and Ila Borders. The Saints play their home games at Midway Stadium in St. Paul and are not affiliated with Major League Baseball.
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a Northern League team founded in in 1996. They won the Northern League Title in 1998 and in 2003.<ref>Tyler, Wm R. (2006). nlfan.com Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. nlfan. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>
Northwoods League is an SCBA sanctioned summer baseball league comprised of teams of the top college players. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility.
Other Minor League Baseball teams associated with Minnesota include the Rochester Red Wings (AAA), the New Britain Rock Cats (AA), the Fort Myers Miracles (High-A), the Beloit Snappers (Low-A), the Elizabethton Twins (Rookie), the DSL Twins<ref>DSL Twins - Dominican Summer League (R). Baseball America (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> of the Dominican Summer League, and GCL Twins of the Gulf Coast League, all sponsored by the Minnesota Twins.
Legion baseball is played throughout out the state in summer.
[edit] Basketball
The Minnesota Timberwolves are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team founded in 1989<ref>Timberwolves.com Timberwolves Statistics. NBA Media Ventures, LLC (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> and play their home games at Target Center in Minneapolis. The "Wolves", as they are called by fans, have yet to appear in an NBA Finals series. In 2000, NBA officials ruled that the Wolves violated league rules when signing then free agent Joe Smith. They then declared the contract was henceforth invalid, fined the organization $3.5 million, and took the team's next 3 first round draft picks.<ref>Allen, Nate (2000). SportsLawNews.com Timberwolves Heavily Penalized for Secret Deal. Mark's Sportslaw News. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> Notable current and former players include Sam Cassell, Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury, Latrell Sprewell, Wally Szczerbiak and Malik Sealy.
The Minnesota Lynx are a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team founded in 1999 and play their home games at Target Center in Minneapolis. The Lynx have made the playoffs in 2003 and 2004, but have never appeared in the WNBA Finals. In 2005, the Lynx drafted Seimone Augustus from LSU. She has become the center of the Franchise this season, and has been the center of many WNBA ads.
The Minneapolis Lakers were an NBA team that was moved from Detroit, Michigan to Minneapolis in 1946. During their stay in Minneapolis, the Lakers won the 1947–48 National Basketball League (NBL) championship, then joined 4 other NBL teams in joining the Basketball Association of America (BAA), where they won the 1948–49 BAA championship. After the 1948–49 season, the NBL and the BAA merged to become the NBA. The Lakers then won 5 championships in 6 years, winning in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1954.<ref>NBA.com Year-by-year results - NBA Finals: All-Time Champions. NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition. NBA Media Ventures, LLC (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> They are considered to be the NBA's first "Dynasty". Notable players include George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Vern Mikkelsen, Slater Martin, and Clyde Lovellette. In 1960, the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, California, where they became the Los Angeles Lakers.
[edit] Football
The Minnesota Vikings are a National Football League (NFL) team founded as an expansion team in 1961. They have played their home games at the Metrodome in Minneapolis since 1982. The Vikings were the first team to appear in four Super Bowls, but also became the first team to lose four Super Bowls. Notable current and former players include Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham. Rich Gannon, Jay Fiedler, Gus Frerotte, Randy Moss, Daunte Culpepper, Brad Johnson, and Fred Smoot.
The Minnesota Vixen are a Women's Professional Football League founded in 1998. They have not appeared in the WPFL Championship.
[edit] Hockey
The Minnesota Wild are a National Hockey League (NHL) team founded in 2000 and play their home games at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Wild have not appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals. With their first draft pick in franchise history, the Wild Drafted Marian Gaborik, a player that currently holds the team's record for most points in a season.<ref>Wild.com Marian Gaborik. State of Hockey. Minnesota Sports and Entertainment (2005). Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> The Wild made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2002, before being swept by the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
The Minnesota Whitecaps are an all women's team that plays in the National Women's Hockey League.
The Minnesota North Stars were an NHL team that was part of the 1967 NHL Expansion and played their home games at Met Center in Bloomington. They appeared in the 1981 and 1991 Stanley Cup Finals, but did not win either one of them. In 1993, the North Stars moved to Dallas, where they became the Dallas Stars. Notable players include Harry Howell, John Mariucci, Gump Worsley, and Mike Modano.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Eveleth, on the Iron Range. The United States won the Olympic gold medal for Hockey in 1980 coached by Minnesota native Herb Brooks with eleven of the twenty players on the roster from Minnesota beating the long dominant USSR team in what is known as the Miracle on Ice.
[edit] Lacrosse
The Minnesota Swarm are a National Lacrosse League team founded in 2005 and play their home games at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. In the 2006 season, they qualified for the playoffs for the first time, but were eliminated by the Buffalo Bandits in the first round.
[edit] Soccer
The Minnesota Thunder are an USL First Division team founded in 1992 as an amateur Men's team, then joined the USL in 1994. <ref>mnthunder.com Team History. Minnesota Thunder. mnthunder. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> Notable former players include Tony Sanneh and Manuel Lagos. The Thunder play their home games at the James Griffin Stadium in St. Paul, with rare exceptions.
The Minnesota Lightning are a W-League team founded in 2006.
[edit] Table of professional teams
[edit] College
The state of Minnesota has 27 schools competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Minnesota is one of eleven US states that do not have a school listed as an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member<ref>National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Member Institutions. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>, though there are schools transitioning from the NAIA to the NCAA.
[edit] Division I
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are an NCAA team that competes primarily in the Big Ten, but competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for Hockey. The Golden Gophers have won 23 total national collegiate championships, including 6 in football, 5 in men's hockey, 3 in baseball, 3 in women's hockey, 2 in men's basketball, 1 in men's golf, 1 in men's track and field, and 2 in men's wrestling.<ref>Gophersports.com Minnesota Championships. Goldy's Locker Room. University of Minnesota (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref> The entire list of collegiate national championships can be found here. A list of notable former Golden Gophers can be found at Minnesota Golden Gophers#Famous Gopher athletes.
[edit] Division II
The NCAA Division II teams in Minnesota are from the North Central Conference (NCC) or the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). There are 10 Division II classified schools for the 2006–2007 year.
Teams competing in the NCC are:<ref>North Central Conference Member Page. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>
- Minnesota State University, Mankato - Mavericks
- St. Cloud State University - Huskies
- University of Minnesota Duluth - Bulldogs
The NCC was founded in 1921.<ref>North Central Conference About Us Page. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> All three of these school were at one time members of the NSIC. All three school additionally compete in Division I Ice Hockey, competing in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) for both men's and women's hockey. Minnesota State, Mankato has produced three NCAA Division II titles, Minnesota-Duluth has produced three NCAA titles (all in Women's Division I ice hockey). St. Cloud State has no national titles.<ref>How many NCAA championships has your school won?. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>
Teams competing in the NSIC are:<ref>Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>
- Bemidji State University - Beavers
- Concordia University, Saint Paul - Golden Bears
- University of Minnesota Crookston - Golden Eagles
- Minnesota State University Moorhead - Dragons
- Southwest Minnesota State University - Mustangs
- Winona State University - Warriors
The NSIC was founded in 1932<ref>Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Media Guide. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> and joined the NCAA in 1992. Bemidji State notably competes in Division I in men's and women's hockey, as members of the WCHA. Bemidji State University has won five NCAA Division II titles. Winona State has won one NCAA Division II title. Concordia, St. Paul, UM-Crookston, MSU-Moorhead and Southwest Minnesota State have not won any NCAA team titles.<ref>How many NCAA championships has your school won?. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>
Additionally, there is one team transitioning from Division II to Division III:
- University of Minnesota, Morris - Cougars
Formerly a member of the NSIC, the UM-Morris Cougars are transitioning to Division III and the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. They are still considered as a Division II member.<ref>NCAA's UM-Morris information page. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>
[edit] Division III
The NCAA Division III teams in Minnesota play in one of two leagues, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) or the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC).
Teams competing in the MIAC:<ref>Minnesota Athletic Intercollegiate Conference member page. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>
- Augsburg College - Auggies
- Bethel University (Minnesota) - Royals
- Carleton College - Knights
- Concordia College, Moorhead - Cobbers
- Gustavus Adolphus College - Gusties
- Hamline University - Pipers
- Macalester College - Scots
- College of Saint Benedict - Blazers (women only)
- College of St. Catherine - Wildcats (women only)
- St. John's University - Johnnies (men only)
- St. Mary's University - Cardinals
- St. Olaf College - Oles
- University of St. Thomas - Tommies
The MIAC was founded in 1920.<ref>Minnesota Athletic Intercollegiate Conference History. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> Conference schools have won 30 total NCAA titles.<ref>How many NCAA championships has your school won?. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> Among those titles are Augsburg's nine wrestling titles, and St. Thomas' eleven total titles.
Teams competing in the UMAC:<ref>Upper Midwest Athletic Conference member page. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref>
- Crown College - Storm
- Martin Luther College - Knights
- College of St. Scholastica - Saints
The UMAC was founded in 1972.<ref>Upper Midwest Athletic Conference history page. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.</ref> The conference is currently in the process of becoming a NCAA Division III conference. There are eight full members, six from Minnesota. Three of those members are listed as Division III members. Additionally, one school is transitioning from Division II to Division III. Two additional Minnesota schools will eventually be Division III members: Bethany Lutheran College and Northwestern College.
[edit] References
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