Sports in Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Sports in Minnesota include professional teams in all major sports, Olympic Games
contenders and medalists, especially in the Winter Olympics
, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations, and active amateur teams and individual sports. The State
of Minnesota
has a team in all four major professional leagues (MLB
, NFL
, NBA
, and NHL
), and the University of Minnesota
is part of the oldest major college conference still running (the Big Ten
).
The Minnesota Twins
are a Major League Baseball
(MLB) team that moved to Minnesota in 1961 from Washington D.C., where they were known as the Washington Senators. The Twins played their home games at Metropolitan Stadium
in Bloomington from 1961–1981 and the Metrodome
in Minneapolis
from 1982–2009, then moved to Target Field
in 2010. They have been to the World Series in 1965
, 1987
, and 1991
, winning in 1987 and 1991. In 2001, the Twins and the Montreal Expos
were threatened with extinction in a contraction scheme of the Commissioner of Baseball
. That effort was unsuccessful, and the next year the team made it to the ALCS
. Notable current and former Twins include Kirby Puckett
, Bert Blyleven
, Rod Carew
, Tony Oliva
, Harmon Killebrew
, Paul Molitor
, Johan Santana
, Joe Mauer
, Justin Morneau
, Torii Hunter
, Joe Nathan
, David Ortiz
, and Kent Hrbek
. At one time, there was a Major League Baseball
team based out of Saint Paul
called the Saints, the team has since moved to Chicago, Illinois and are now the Chicago White Sox
.
The current 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. Notable current and former players include Kevin Millar
, Darryl Strawberry
, Jason Varitek
, 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.
below for information on amateur and other minor league teams.
The Minnesota Timberwolves
are a National Basketball Association
(NBA) team founded in 1989 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 but made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2004. 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. Notable current and former players include Kevin Love
, 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 won one WNBA Championship, doing so during the 2011
season. In 2005, the Lynx drafted Seimone Augustus
from LSU
. She has become the center of the franchise, 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 1947. 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. They are considered to be the NBA's
first "Dynasty". Notable players include George Mikan
, Jim Pollard, Vern Mikkelsen
, Slater Martin
, Clyde Lovellette and Elgin Baylor
. In 1960, the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, California
, where they became the Los Angeles Lakers
.
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 have won one NFL Championship in 1969, a year before the AFL-NFL Merger
. The Vikings were the first team to appear in four Super Bowl
s, but also lost all of them. Their last appearance in the Super Bowl was Super Bowl XI against the Oakland Raiders (who were coached by Austin native and TV commentator John Madden) in 1977. Notable current and former players include Warren Moon
, Randall Cunningham
, Jim Marshall
, Ron Yary
, Mick Tingelhoff
, Paul Krause
, Cris Carter
, Carl Eller
, Fran Tarkenton
, Chuck Foreman
, Randy Moss
, Daunte Culpepper
, Darren Sharper
, Jim Kleinsasser
, Brad Johnson
, Alan Page
, the Purple People Eaters
, Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre
. Before the Vikings, Minnesota also hosted the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets and the Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos.
The Minnesota Vixen
are a Women's Professional Football League
founded in 1998. They have not appeared in the WPFL Championship. They are the oldest professional women's football team in the United States
.
The Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos were professional football teams in Duluth in the 1920s. Three players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
. The teams played at Athletic Park
. Though the National Football League
official history does not recognize it, it can be argued that the Duluth Eskimos still exist today as the Washington Redskins
.
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. The Wild made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2003, before being swept by the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
.
The Minnesota Whitecaps
are an all women's team that plays in the Western 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
.
were founded in 2010 as a replacement for the Minnesota Thunder
, which folded after the 2009 season. The Stars originally planned to play in a new incarnation of the North American Soccer League
, but due to conflicts between the NASL and the United Soccer Leagues
, the NASL did not launch. The United States Soccer Federation
stepped in and sanctioned a temporary league for the 2010 season, the USSF Division 2 Professional League
, featuring teams from both organizations. The Stars are playing the 2010 season in USSF 2 and play their home games at the National Sports Center
in Blaine
, where the Thunder previously played.
The Thunder were a USL First Division
team founded in 1992 as an amateur
men's team, then joined the USL
in 1994, and won the championship of what was then the A-League in 1999.
Notable former players include Tony Sanneh
and Manuel Lagos.
The Minnesota Lightning
are a W-League
team founded in 2006. They also play at the National Sports Center.
The Minnesota Swarm
is the state's professional lacrosse
team. All home games for the Minnesota Swarm
are played at the Xcel Energy Center. The National Lacrosse League
(NLL) awarded St. Paul the inactive Montreal Express franchise on August 10, 2004. On December 10 of the same year the team played its first exhibition game against the Colorado Mammoth
. In the 2005 season the Swarm missed the playoffs, finishing fifth in the eastern division. In the 2006 season, it qualified for the playoffs for the first time, but was eliminated by the Buffalo Bandits
in the first round. In 2008, the swarm finished the season as the best team in their division.
has an annual stop in Minnesota. What was formerly was the Burnett Senior Classic played at Bunker Hills is now the 3M Championship played at TPC Twin Cities
. Minnesota was the host of the LPGA Classic from 1990–1998 at Edinburgh USA. The Nationwide Tour
stops annually at Tom Lehman
's Somerby Golf Club and Community
. Though Minnesota is not a stop on the men's PGA tour, the state has hosted several major events. The U.S. Open has been played in the state four times, twice at Hazeltine National Golf Club
, in 1970 and 1991, once at Interlachen Country Club
(1930) in Bobby Jones' historic win, and once at The Minikahda Club
(1916). Hazeltine then played host to the PGA Championship
in 2002 and 2009. The Ryder Cup
will then visit Hazeltine in 2016. Interlachen Country Club
hosted the Solheim Cup
in 2002 and the U.S. Women's Open in 2008.
's National Tour, the top level of pro/am disc golf events in America. The tournament has frequented Kaposia Park, Blue Ribbon Pines and Hyland Ski Area, among other courses. The 2010 Minnesota Majestic was the 23rd annual.
sanctioned events. Elko Speedway
in Elko is a 3/8 mile paved oval, which has held NASCAR events for over twenty years. Raceway Park
(Minnesota) in Shakopee is a 1/4 mile paved oval.
NASCAR drivers from Minnesota include:
Minnesota is known for being the home of the Brainerd International Raceway
, which opened in 1963. It has hosted drag racing, road racing, and kart racing. NHRA drivers from Minnesota include:
. Milton became the first driver to win two Indianapolis 500
s with his wins in 1921
and 1923
. Amazingly, Milton was completely blind in his right eye. In 2007 Rochester
's Leilani Munter
became the fourth woman in history to compete in the Indy Pro Series
, the development league of IndyCar
.
The aforementioned Brainerd International Raceway also hosts a 3-mile road course, which held a USAC
race in 1969 among other events.
, based out of Golden Valley, holds an annual event in the woodlands near Bemidji. Known as the Ojibwe Forests Rally, the event is held near the end of August each year. Rally America also holds events in Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Colorado. X-Games superstar, Travis Pastrana
, is a regular in the series.
(WoO) sprint car event held at Princeton Raceway. Known as the PolyDome Princeton Nationals, the event is most likely held at the track due to WoO driver, Craig Dollansky, being from nearby Elk River. The 1/4 mile track leads to some exciting, action-packed racing.
(NCAA). Minnesota is one of eleven US states that do not have a school listed as an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) member, though there are schools transitioning from the NAIA to the NCAA.
The Minnesota
Golden Gophers
compete in NCAA Division I as member of the Big Ten Conference
for all sports but hockey. In the latter sport the school is a member of the NCAA's Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association
. The Golden Gophers have won 24 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 3 in men's wrestling
. The entire list of collegiate national championships can be found here. The Golden Gophers have also won 178 conference titles. A list of notable former Golden Gophers can be found at Minnesota Golden Gophers#Notable Gopher athletes and coaches.
Four other universities in Minnesota maintain NCAA Division I ice hockey programs, and all five field both men's and women's teams. The other four Division I schools (for ice hockey only) are Bemidji State University
, the University of Minnesota Duluth
, Minnesota State University, Mankato
, and St. Cloud State University
. All five schools participate in the WCHA
. Duluth has produced five Division I championships in women's ice hockey and one Division I championship in men's ice hockey.
(NSIC). There are 9 Division II classified schools for the 2007–2008 year.
The NSIC was founded in 1932 and joined the NCAA in 1992. Teams competing in the NSIC are:
Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Mankato and St. Cloud 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. Minnesota State, Mankato has produced three NCAA Division II titles, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth has produced two Division II titles in football. Winona State has won two NCAA Division II titles. Concordia, St. Paul has won four NCAA Division II title in Volleyball. UM-Crookston, MSU-Moorhead, Southwest Minnesota State and St. Cloud State have not won any NCAA team titles.
(MIAC) or the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
(UMAC).
Teams competing in the MIAC:
The MIAC was founded in 1920. Conference schools have won 30 total NCAA titles. Among those titles are Augsburg's nine wrestling titles, and St. Thomas' eleven total titles.
Teams competing in the UMAC:
The UMAC was founded in 1972. The conference became an active NCAA Division III conference July 1, 2008. There are eight full members, six from Minnesota. All six Minnesota members are full Division III members.
North Central University
in Minneapolis, is an independent school that is also transitioning into the NCAA Division III .
gold medal
for ice hockey in 1980
, coached by Minnesota native Herb Brooks
. Eleven of the twenty players on the roster were from Minnesota. The team beat the long-dominant Soviet team
in what has been called the Miracle on Ice
, and went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland.
The 1960 United States hockey team won the Olympic
gold medal
in the 1960 Winter Olympics. Six of the 18 members of that team were from Minnesota. The team beat the Canadian ice hockey team in the final game to secure the gold medal.
A substantial number of players on the 1956 Olympic silver medal hockey team came from Minnesota.
Similarly, the majority of players on the 1972 Olympic silver medal hockey team came from Minnesota.
In the 2006 Winter Olympics
, both the bronze medal U.S. men's
and the women's
curling
teams came from the Bemidji Curling Club
.
Bloomington native Tom Malchow
won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
and a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics
in swimming.
Carrie Tollefson
was on the 2004 Summer Olympic team as a distance runner and ranked 5th in 2006.
Minnesota was well represented in the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Bejiing.
. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate, and therefore are not paid. Minnesota's Northwoods League teams are the Alexandria Beetles
, Brainerd Blue Thunder, Duluth Huskies
, Mankato Moondogs
, Rochester Honkers
, and St. Cloud River Bats
. The Northwoods League Offices are located in Rochester, Minnesota
. There are also Northwoods League teams operating in Wisconsin
, Iowa
, Michigan
, and Ontario
, Canada
. The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
are an American Association team founded in 1996. They won five Northern League titles in 1998, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2010 (the last year of the league). Jim Osgar was the greatest baseball player ever to come out of Minnesota.
Other Minor League Baseball
teams associated with Minnesota include the Rochester Red Wings
(AAA), the New Britain Rock Cats
(AA), the Fort Myers Miracle
s (High-A), the Beloit Snappers
(Low-A), the Elizabethton Twins
(Rookie), the DSL Twins of the Dominican Summer League
, and GCL Twins of the Gulf Coast League
, all sponsored by the Minnesota Twins.
American Legion baseball is played throughout the state in summer.
whose members competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics, there are over two dozen curling
clubs in the state.
(Saint Paul), North Star Roller Girls
(Minneapolis) and T. C. Terrors (Men's travel team). Founded in 2004, 2006, and 2007 respectively, the women's leagues have shown increasing popularity over their existence, with the Minnesota RollerGirls having reached attendance levels of 4,200 spectators at their venue, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium
, part of the Xcel Energy Center
. The North Star Roller Girls started their 2007–2008 season in a new home, the Minneapolis Convention Center
, having outgrown the capacity of Coon Rapids' Cheap Skate roller rink.
National Sports Center
the Schwan’s USA CUP is played: the largest international youth soccer tournament in North America with over 1,000 teams and participants from 22 countries.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
contenders and medalists, especially in the Winter Olympics
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations, and active amateur teams and individual sports. The State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
has a team in all four major professional leagues (MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, and NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
), and the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
is part of the oldest major college conference still running (the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
).
Baseball
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
are a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) team that moved to Minnesota in 1961 from Washington D.C., where they were known as the Washington Senators. The Twins played their home games at Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
in Bloomington from 1961–1981 and the Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
from 1982–2009, then moved to Target Field
Target Field
Target Field is a baseball park located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home ballpark of the Minnesota Twins, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It is the franchise's sixth ballpark and third in Minnesota. The Twins moved to Target Field for the 2010 Major League Baseball...
in 2010. They have been to the World Series in 1965
1965 World Series
The 1965 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins, who had won their first pennant since 1933 when the team was known as the Washington Senators...
, 1987
1987 World Series
The 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game...
, and 1991
1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
, winning in 1987 and 1991. In 2001, the Twins and the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
were threatened with extinction in a contraction scheme of the Commissioner of Baseball
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
. That effort was unsuccessful, and the next year the team made it to the ALCS
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
. Notable current and former Twins include Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases...
, Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011...
, Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
, Tony Oliva
Tony Oliva
Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
, Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
, Johan Santana
Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....
, Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins. He is the only catcher in Major League history to win three batting titles...
, Justin Morneau
Justin Morneau
Justin Ernest George Morneau is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Minnesota Twins. At 6 feet 4 inches and 225 lbs, Morneau was originally drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He converted to first base in the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2003...
, Torii Hunter
Torii Hunter
Torii Kedar Hunter is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.Hunter has taken away many home runs throughout his 13-year major league career by "climbing the fence" in the outfield. He has won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder.Hunter resides...
, Joe Nathan
Joe Nathan
Joseph Michael Nathan is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball . Nathan started out his baseball career as a shortstop in high school but converted to a pitcher after being drafted by the San Francisco Giants...
, David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
, and Kent Hrbek
Kent Hrbek
Frequently injured , Hrbek retired after the players strike in 1994, citing his nagging injury problems and desire to spend more time with his wife and daughter at their home in Bloomington, MN...
. At one time, there was a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team based out of Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
called the Saints, the team has since moved to Chicago, Illinois and are now the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
The current St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
are an American Association
American Association (21st century)
The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional baseball league founded in 2005 and independent of Major League Baseball...
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. Notable current and former players include Kevin Millar
Kevin Millar
Kevin Charles Millar is an American former professional baseball first baseman and current analyst for MLB Network and New England Sports Network. Millar played college baseball at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he continues to reside in the off-season. Millar is the nephew of former...
, Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
, Jason Varitek
Jason Varitek
Jason Andrew Varitek is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek has played his entire major league career for the Boston Red Sox...
, Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
, and Ila Borders
Ila Borders
Ila Borders , is a former left-handed pitcher in college and independent professional baseball player.-Biography:Borders was the first woman pitcher to start a men's NCAA or NAIA college baseball game, playing for Southern California College in the 1994-96 seasons and Whittier College in the 1997...
. The Saints play their home games at Midway Stadium
Midway Stadium
Midway Stadium is the name of two different minor league baseball parks in Saint Paul, Minnesota, one now demolished and the other still in active use. The name derives from the location of the stadium in St. Paul's Midway area, so named because it's roughly halfway between the downtowns of...
in St. Paul and are not affiliated with Major League Baseball.
below for information on amateur and other minor league teams.
Basketball
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
are a National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) team founded in 1989 and play their home games at Target Center
Target Center
The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The "Wolves", as they are called by fans, have yet to appear in an NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
series but made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2004. In 2000, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
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. Notable current and former players include Kevin Love
Kevin Love
Kevin Love, born in Des Moines, Iowa, is a former NASCAR driver. He ran five races in the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season, all for Fiddleback Racing....
, Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
, Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
, Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
, Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Fontaine Sprewell is a former American professional basketball player. During his time as a professional, Sprewell was named to the NBA All-Star game during four seasons, and played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves...
, Wally Szczerbiak
Wally Szczerbiak
Walter Robert "Wally" Szczerbiak is an American former professional basketball player.-Early life:Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father Walter was playing for Real Madrid, and spent much of his childhood in Europe during his father's playing career...
and Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30...
.
The Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
are a Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA) team founded in 1999 and play their home games at Target Center
Target Center
The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
in Minneapolis. The Lynx have won one WNBA Championship, doing so during the 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
season. In 2005, the Lynx drafted Seimone Augustus
Seimone Augustus
Seimone Augustus is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Minnesota Lynx, WBC Spartak Moscow Region and the US national team...
from LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. She has become the center of the franchise, and has been the center of many WNBA ads.
The Minneapolis Lakers were an NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
team that was moved from Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
to Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
in 1947. During their stay in Minneapolis, the Lakers won the 1947–48 National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
(NBL) championship, then joined 4 other NBL teams in joining the Basketball Association of America
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
(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. They are considered to be the NBA's
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
first "Dynasty". Notable players include George Mikan
George Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
, Jim Pollard, Vern Mikkelsen
Vern Mikkelsen
Arild Verner Agerskov "Vern" Mikkelsen is an American former professional basketball player. He was one of the NBA's first power forwards in the 1950s and was known for his tenacious defense.-Early life:...
, Slater Martin
Slater Martin
Slater Nelson "Dugie" Martin Jr. is an American retired professional basketball player and coach who played the guard position for 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association...
, Clyde Lovellette and Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
. In 1960, the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where they became the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
Football
The Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
are a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) team founded as an expansion team in 1961. They have played their home games at the Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
since 1982. The Vikings have won one NFL Championship in 1969, a year before the AFL-NFL Merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
. The Vikings were the first team to appear in four Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s, but also lost all of them. Their last appearance in the Super Bowl was Super Bowl XI against the Oakland Raiders (who were coached by Austin native and TV commentator John Madden) in 1977. Notable current and former players include Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
, Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
, Jim Marshall
Jim Marshall (American football)
James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at the Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns...
, Ron Yary
Ron Yary
Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
, Mick Tingelhoff
Mick Tingelhoff
Henry Michael "Mick" Tingelhoff is a former football center who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1962-1978.-College career:...
, Paul Krause
Paul Krause
Paul James Krause is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League...
, Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
, Carl Eller
Carl Eller
Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
, Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
, Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:...
, Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
, Darren Sharper
Darren Sharper
Darren Mallory Sharper is an American football safety who currently is a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at William & Mary....
, Jim Kleinsasser
Jim Kleinsasser
Jim Carter Kleinsasser is an American Football player who currently plays fullback, H-back, and tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. Sometimes referred to as Jim Clank Clank.-High school:...
, Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
, Alan Page
Alan Page
Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
, the Purple People Eaters
Purple People Eaters
Purple People Eaters is a term for the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. The term is a reference to a popular song from 1958, the superb efficiency of the defense, and the color of their uniforms...
, Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
. Before the Vikings, Minnesota also hosted the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets and the Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos.
The Minnesota Vixen
Minnesota Vixen
The Minnesota Vixen are a professional women's football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen ....
are a Women's Professional Football League
Women's Professional Football League
The Women's Professional Football League is the original and longest operating women's professional American football league in the United States. Now with teams across the United States, the WPFL had its first game in 1999 with just two original teams: the Lake Michigan Minx and the Minnesota...
founded in 1998. They have not appeared in the WPFL Championship. They are the oldest professional women's football team in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos were professional football teams in Duluth in the 1920s. Three players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. The teams played at Athletic Park
Athletic Park
Athletic Park can refer to many places, including:In the United States*Athletic Park , also known as Luna Park and Carnival Court*Athletic Park *Athletic Park *Athletic Park *Athletic Park...
. Though the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
official history does not recognize it, it can be argued that the Duluth Eskimos still exist today as the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Hockey
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
are a National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) team founded in 2000 and play their home games at the Xcel Energy Center
Xcel Energy Center
The Xcel Energy Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is named for its locally-based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 18,064, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three general seating levels. The arena is owned by the...
in St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. The Wild have not appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
. With their first draft pick in franchise history, the Wild Drafted Marian Gaborik
Marian Gaborik
Marián Gáborík is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He began his career in the Slovak Extraliga with HC Dukla Trenčín for two seasons before being drafted third overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the...
, a player that currently holds the team's record for most points in a season. The Wild made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2003, before being swept by the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
The Minnesota Whitecaps
Minnesota Whitecaps
The Minnesota Whitecaps are a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League . The team play its home games in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area...
are an all women's team that plays in the Western Women's Hockey League
Western Women's Hockey League
The Western Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's hockey leagues in Canada. The league was established in 2004, and consisted of teams in Canada and one from the United States...
.
The Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
were an NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
team that was part of the 1967 NHL Expansion
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
and played their home games at Met Center
Metropolitan Sports Center
The Met Center was an indoor arena that stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The arena, which was completed in 1967 just to the north of Metropolitan Stadium, seated 15,000. It was best known as the home of the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL from 1967-1993...
in Bloomington
Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...
. They appeared in the 1981 and 1991 Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
, but did not win either one of them. In 1993, the North Stars moved to Dallas, where they became the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
. Notable players include Harry Howell
Harry Howell (hockey player)
Henry Vernon Howell is a former professional hockey player and longtime star for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
, John Mariucci
John Mariucci
John Mariucci was an American ice hockey player, administrator and coach. Mariucci was born in Eveleth, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota where he played for both the hockey and football teams. He was named an All-American in hockey in 1940...
, Gump Worsley
Gump Worsley
Lorne John "Gump" Worsley was a professional ice hockey goaltender. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, he was given his nickname due to friends deciding he looked like comic-strip character Andy Gump.-Career:...
, and Mike Modano
Mike Modano
Michael Thomas Modano, Jr. is a retired American professional ice hockey player, who most notably played for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader amongst American-born players in the NHL, as well as the last active player in the NHL...
.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
is located in Eveleth
Eveleth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,865 people, 1,717 households, and 971 families residing in the city. The population density was 611.0 people per square mile . There were 1,965 housing units at an average density of 310.6 per square mile...
, on the Iron Range
Iron Range
The Iron Range is a region that makes up the northeastern section of Minnesota in the United States. "The Range", as it is known by locals, is a region with multiple distinct bands of iron ore...
.
Soccer
The NSC Minnesota StarsNSC Minnesota Stars
The NSC Minnesota Stars is an American professional soccer team based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
were founded in 2010 as a replacement for the Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its home games at the National Sports Center in nearby...
, which folded after the 2009 season. The Stars originally planned to play in a new incarnation of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League (2010)
The North American Soccer League is a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico which began league play on April 9, 2011. It has been provisionally sanctioned as the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer in the...
, but due to conflicts between the NASL and the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
, the NASL did not launch. The United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
stepped in and sanctioned a temporary league for the 2010 season, the USSF Division 2 Professional League
USSF Division 2 Professional League
USSF Division 2 Professional League was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League...
, featuring teams from both organizations. The Stars are playing the 2010 season in USSF 2 and play their home games at the National Sports Center
National Sports Center
The National Sports Center is a 600-acre multi-sport complex located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States, that includes a soccer stadium, over 50 full-sized soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink, which is...
in Blaine
Blaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
, where the Thunder previously played.
The Thunder were a USL First Division
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
team founded in 1992 as an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
men's team, then joined the USL
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
in 1994, and won the championship of what was then the A-League in 1999.
Notable former players include Tony Sanneh
Tony Sanneh
Anthony "Tony" Sanneh is an American soccer player who most recently played for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
and Manuel Lagos.
The Minnesota Lightning
Minnesota Lightning
Minnesota Lightning was an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2006. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the Midwest Division of the Central Conference...
are a W-League
W-League
The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
team founded in 2006. They also play at the National Sports Center.
Lacrosse
Minnesota Swarm
Minnesota Swarm is a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. The team plays on Treasure Island Field at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota....
is the state's professional lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team. All home games for the Minnesota Swarm
Minnesota Swarm
Minnesota Swarm is a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. The team plays on Treasure Island Field at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota....
are played at the Xcel Energy Center. The National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
(NLL) awarded St. Paul the inactive Montreal Express franchise on August 10, 2004. On December 10 of the same year the team played its first exhibition game against the Colorado Mammoth
Colorado Mammoth
The Colorado Mammoth are a member of the National Lacrosse League. They have played at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, United States, since the 2003 season....
. In the 2005 season the Swarm missed the playoffs, finishing fifth in the eastern division. In the 2006 season, it qualified for the playoffs for the first time, but was eliminated by the Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
in the first round. In 2008, the swarm finished the season as the best team in their division.
Golf
Minnesota plays host to several professional golf events. The Champions TourChampions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
has an annual stop in Minnesota. What was formerly was the Burnett Senior Classic played at Bunker Hills is now the 3M Championship played at TPC Twin Cities
Tournament Players Club
Tournament Players Club is a chain of public and private golf courses operated by the PGA Tour. Most of the courses either are or have been hosts for PGA Tour events, with the remainder having frequently hosted events on the second-tier Nationwide Tour or the over-50s Champions Tour.The first...
. Minnesota was the host of the LPGA Classic from 1990–1998 at Edinburgh USA. The Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
stops annually at Tom Lehman
Tom Lehman
Thomas Edward Lehman is an American professional golfer.Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota, but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Business/Accounting and turned professional in 1982. It took...
's Somerby Golf Club and Community
Somerby Golf Club and Community
Somerby Golf Club is a private golf club and community on the north side of Byron, Minnesota. The course was designed by architect and golf pro John Fought, and by golf pro Tom Lehman....
. Though Minnesota is not a stop on the men's PGA tour, the state has hosted several major events. The U.S. Open has been played in the state four times, twice at Hazeltine National Golf Club
Hazeltine National Golf Club
Hazeltine National Golf Club is a golf club located in Chaska, Minnesota. It is a private club and therefore closed to guests not accompanied by a member. The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1962....
, in 1970 and 1991, once at Interlachen Country Club
Interlachen Country Club
The Interlachen Country Club is a private country club in Edina, Minnesota which has hosted several national golf tournaments, including the 1930 U.S. Open , the 2002 Solheim Cup, and the 2008 U.S...
(1930) in Bobby Jones' historic win, and once at The Minikahda Club
The Minikahda Club
The Minikahda Club is a golf club and course located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is located near Lake Calhoun. The club was established in 1898. The name Minikahda comes from the Sioux, a combination of two Indian words meaning "by the side of the water." The course was site of the 1916 U.S....
(1916). Hazeltine then played host to the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
in 2002 and 2009. The Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
will then visit Hazeltine in 2016. Interlachen Country Club
Interlachen Country Club
The Interlachen Country Club is a private country club in Edina, Minnesota which has hosted several national golf tournaments, including the 1930 U.S. Open , the 2002 Solheim Cup, and the 2008 U.S...
hosted the Solheim Cup
Solheim Cup
The Solheim Cup is a biennial golf tournament for professional women golfers contested by teams representing Europe and the United States. It is named after the Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, who was a driving force behind its creation.The inaugural Cup was held in 1990,...
in 2002 and the U.S. Women's Open in 2008.
Disc Golf
Disc golf courses in the Twin Cities play host to the Minnesota Majestic on the third weekend every June. It is part of the Professional Disc Golf AssociationProfessional Disc Golf Association
The Professional Disc Golf Association is a membership organization dedicated to the promotion and sustainable growth ofdisc golf...
's National Tour, the top level of pro/am disc golf events in America. The tournament has frequented Kaposia Park, Blue Ribbon Pines and Hyland Ski Area, among other courses. The 2010 Minnesota Majestic was the 23rd annual.
Table of professional teams
| Club | Sport | League | Home Venue | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... – AL (Central Division) American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major... |
Target Field Target Field Target Field is a baseball park located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home ballpark of the Minnesota Twins, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It is the franchise's sixth ballpark and third in Minnesota. The Twins moved to Target Field for the 2010 Major League Baseball... |
World Series World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy... : 1987 1987 World Series The 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game... , 1991 1991 World Series The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27.... |
| Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
American football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... – NFC (North Division) National Football Conference The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,... |
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
NFL Championship: 1969 NFL Championship Game, 1969 The 1969 NFL Championship Game was the 37th and final championship game played prior to the AFL-NFL Merger. The winner of the game would go on to play in Super Bowl IV against the champion of the American Football League... |
| Minnesota Timberwolves Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
National Basketball Association National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada... – Western (Northwest Division) Western Conference (NBA) Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks.... |
Target Center Target Center The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites.... |
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| Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
National Hockey League National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... – Western (Northwest Division) Western Conference (NHL) The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference.... |
Xcel Energy Center Xcel Energy Center The Xcel Energy Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is named for its locally-based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 18,064, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three general seating levels. The arena is owned by the... |
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| Minnesota Swarm Minnesota Swarm Minnesota Swarm is a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. The team plays on Treasure Island Field at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.... |
Indoor lacrosse Box lacrosse Box lacrosse, also known as indoor lacrosse and sometimes shortened to boxla, LAX or simply box, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada, where it is the most popular version of the game played in contrast to the traditional field lacrosse game... |
National Lacrosse League National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff... – Western Division |
Xcel Energy Center Xcel Energy Center The Xcel Energy Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is named for its locally-based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 18,064, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three general seating levels. The arena is owned by the... |
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| Minnesota Lynx Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
Women's National Basketball Association Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association... – Western Conference |
Target Center Target Center The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites.... |
WNBA Championship: 2011 2011 WNBA Finals The 2011 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2011 season of the Women's National Basketball Association , and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Minnesota Lynx, champions of the Western Conference, swept the champions of the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Dream in three... |
| Minnesota Vixen Minnesota Vixen The Minnesota Vixen are a professional women's football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen .... |
Women's American football Women's American football Women have begun playing full-contact American football. Most leagues play by the same rules as their male counterparts, with one exception: women's leagues use a slightly smaller football. Women primarily play on a semi-professional or amateur level in the United States... |
Independent Women's Football League Independent Women's Football League The Independent Women's Football League was founded in 2000, and began play in 2001.IWFL founders began with the goal to establish a quality women's football league that would be respected as the top level of women's tackle football in the world.... – Tier II Western (Midwest Division |
Burnsville High School Burnsville High School Burnsville High School is a three-year public high school located in Burnsville, Minnesota. The school is part of Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191, which covers most of Burnsville, as well as parts of the surrounding cities Savage and Eagan, and small parts of Shakopee and Apple Valley... |
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| Minnesota Machine Minnesota Machine The Minnesota Machine is a women's full tackle American football team based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. They play in the Women's Football Alliance and start play in 2009, their inaugural season. In 2010 the Minnesota Machine had to end the playoff contest with the Iowa Thunder... |
Women's American football Women's American football Women have begun playing full-contact American football. Most leagues play by the same rules as their male counterparts, with one exception: women's leagues use a slightly smaller football. Women primarily play on a semi-professional or amateur level in the United States... |
Women's Football Alliance Women's Football Alliance The Women's Football Alliance is a full-contact Women's American football league which began play in the spring of 2009. They have now completed three full seasons and grew to over 60 teams slated for the 2011 season. The women play 11 person tackle football games with rules that basically mirror... – American (Midwest Division) |
Minnetonka High School Minnetonka High School Minnetonka High School is a public comprehensive high school that is located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a western suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul. With almost 3,000 students, it is the 3rd largest high school in Minnesota behind neighboring Wayzata and Eden Prarie high schools... |
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| Minnesota Lady Slippers Minnesota Lady Slippers The Minnesota Lady Slippers are a team of the Women's Spring Football League based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and set to begin play in 2011. Home games will be played on the campus of Edison High School.... |
Women's American football Women's American football Women have begun playing full-contact American football. Most leagues play by the same rules as their male counterparts, with one exception: women's leagues use a slightly smaller football. Women primarily play on a semi-professional or amateur level in the United States... |
Women's Spring Football League Women's Spring Football League The Women's Spring Football League is a full contact Women's American football league which began play in 2010. Five teams played the WSFL's 2010 exhibition schedule, with twelve more joining for their first full season in 2011, and five more for 2012. Three of the league's original 5 have since... – Mid-States Division |
Edison High School Edison High School (Minnesota) Thomas Alva Edison High School is the only public high school in the Northeast community of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was named for American inventor Thomas Alva Edison... |
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| St. Paul Saints St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
American Association American Association (21st century) The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional baseball league founded in 2005 and independent of Major League Baseball... – North Division |
Midway Stadium Midway Stadium Midway Stadium is the name of two different minor league baseball parks in Saint Paul, Minnesota, one now demolished and the other still in active use. The name derives from the location of the stadium in St. Paul's Midway area, so named because it's roughly halfway between the downtowns of... |
Northern League Championship: 1993, 1995, 1996, 2004 |
| Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Northern League – West Division | Newman Outdoor Field Newman Outdoor Field Newman Outdoor Field is a baseball stadium in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located on the campus of North Dakota State University and is the home of the independent league Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball team and the North Dakota State Bison baseball team. The 4,513 seat facility was known as "The... |
Northern League Championship: 1998, 2003, 2006, 2009 |
| NSC Minnesota Stars NSC Minnesota Stars The NSC Minnesota Stars is an American professional soccer team based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid... |
Soccer | USSF Division 2 Professional League USSF Division 2 Professional League USSF Division 2 Professional League was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League... – USL United Soccer Leagues The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and... Conference |
National Sports Center National Sports Center The National Sports Center is a 600-acre multi-sport complex located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States, that includes a soccer stadium, over 50 full-sized soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink, which is... |
NASL Championship 2011 North American Soccer League season The 2011 North American Soccer League season is the 44th season of second division soccer in the United States and the inaugural season of the newly-revived North American Soccer League.... : 2011 |
| Minnesota Lightning Minnesota Lightning Minnesota Lightning was an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2006. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the Midwest Division of the Central Conference... |
Soccer | W-League W-League The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer.... – Central Conference |
University of Minnesota's University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557... Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium is located in Falcon Heights on the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. It is primarily used as the home of the Golden Gopher Women's Soccer team. The stadium opened in 1999 and seats 1,000.... |
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| Minnesota Ripknees Minnesota Ripknees The Minnesota Ripknees were an American basketball team of the American Basketball Association, which briefly joined the Premier Basketball League after starting play as a member of the ABA in 2006... (defunct) |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
American Basketball Association American Basketball Association (21st century) The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976... |
Gangelhoff Center Gangelhoff Center Gangelhoff Center is a 3,200-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of Concordia University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was open in 1993. It is the home to Concordia University Golden Bears volleyball and basketball teams and was home to the Minnesota Ripknees during their one season in the... |
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| Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets (defunct) | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... |
Nicollet Park Nicollet Park Nicollet Park is a former baseball ground located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The ground was home to the minor league Minneapolis Millers of the Western League and later American Association from 1896 to 1955. During its first season it was officially known as Wright Field name for... |
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| Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos (defunct) | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... |
Athletic Park Athletic Park Athletic Park can refer to many places, including:In the United States*Athletic Park , also known as Luna Park and Carnival Court*Athletic Park *Athletic Park *Athletic Park *Athletic Park... |
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| Minnesota Thunder Minnesota Thunder Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its home games at the National Sports Center in nearby... (defunct) |
Soccer | USL First Division United Soccer Leagues The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and... |
National Sports Center National Sports Center The National Sports Center is a 600-acre multi-sport complex located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States, that includes a soccer stadium, over 50 full-sized soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink, which is... |
1999 |
| Minnesota Monarchs Minnesota Monarchs The Minnesota Monarchs were one of six Major League Volleyball franchises. The league began in 1987 and ended short of completing a full season in 1989.... (defunct) |
Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive... |
Augsburg College Augsburg College Augsburg College is a selective liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Augsburg was named for the Augsburg Confession, the document of Lutheran belief. The school was founded in 1869 in Marshall, Wisconsin as Augsburg Seminary and moved... |
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| Minnesota Fighting Pike Minnesota Fighting Pike The Minnesota Fighting Pike were an American football team that played one season in the Arena Football League. The team played at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota... (defunct) |
Arena football Arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.... |
Arena Football League Arena Football League The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster... |
Target Center Target Center The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites.... |
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| Minneapolis Lakers (moved to Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... and are now the Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... ) |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
National Basketball Association National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada... /Basketball Association of America Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ... |
Minneapolis Auditorium Minneapolis Auditorium Minneapolis Auditorium was an indoor arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It hosted the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 until they left for Los Angeles in 1960. The arena held 10,000 people and was built in 1927. It was demolished in 1989 to make way for the convention center.-External links:*... /Minneapolis Armory Minneapolis Armory The Minneapolis Armory is located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The armory was built for the Minnesota National Guard in 1935-36 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.... |
1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 |
| Minnesota North Stars Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white... (moved to Dallas and are now the Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... ) |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
National Hockey League National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
Met Center | |
| Minnesota Moose Minnesota Moose The Minnesota Moose was an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. They played in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, at the Saint Paul Civic Center. The team also played some home games at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Moose were a representative of professional hockey in Minnesota at... (moved to Winnipeg Winnipeg Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name... and are now the Manitoba Moose Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St... ) |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
International Hockey League | St. Paul Civic Center |
NASCAR
There are currently two racetracks in Minnesota that hold NASCARNASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
sanctioned events. Elko Speedway
Elko Speedway
Elko Speedway, is a 3/8 mile Asphalt oval race track located in Elko New Market, Minnesota. Elko Speedway is sanctioned by NASCAR Home Tracks. The track is located in the former Elko portion of the newly merged city....
in Elko is a 3/8 mile paved oval, which has held NASCAR events for over twenty years. Raceway Park
Raceway Park
-Auto racing:*Indianapolis Raceway Park* Houston Raceway Park* Nebraska Raceway Park*Dells Raceway Park* Raceway Park * Raceway Park * Old Bridge Township Raceway Park* Rolling Wheels Raceway Park* Wavelink Raceway Park...
(Minnesota) in Shakopee is a 1/4 mile paved oval.
NASCAR drivers from Minnesota include:
- Joe FrassonJoe FrassonJoseph "Joe" Frasson is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver with four finishes in the top five and nineteen finishes in the top ten under his belt. He has experienced 20284 laps of racing and an overall career windfall of $148,930...
-Ran several races in 1970s, best career finish is third (three times) - Mike GarveyMike GarveyMike Garvey is a NASCAR Nextel Cup driver. He formerly drove the #51 Marthon Oil Chevy for Competitive Edge Motorsports in the Nextel Cup Series. He was a long-time competitor in the American Speed Association....
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver - Jerick Johnson- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver
- Brent ShermanBrent ShermanBrent Sherman , a resident of Wauconda, Illinois, is a former driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series who later competed in the Firestone Indy Lights Series.-Biography:...
-Ran six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2006 - Blackie WangerinBlackie WangerinBlackie Wangerin is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver from Bloomington, Minnesota. In 1971 he attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500 but did not make it past the qualifying race. He returned to the series in 1977 and made at least one start every season thereafter until 1984...
-Best career finish was 13th
NHRA
Brainerd International Raceway
Brainerd International Raceway is a road course, dragstrip and kart track near Brainerd, Minnesota, USA. The raceway hosts the National Hot Rod Association Nationals.-History:...
, which opened in 1963. It has hosted drag racing, road racing, and kart racing. NHRA drivers from Minnesota include:
- Greg AndersonGreg Anderson (driver)Greg Anderson is a current NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver for KB Racing, driving the Summit Racing car. He began his Pro Stock career in 1998. Greg previously served as Crew Chief for current pro stock driver Warren Johnson and tuned Warren to three pro stock championchips...
- Jason LineJason LineJason Line drives a Pro Stock car for Summit Racing in the NHRA. Line resides in Terrell, North Carolina with his wife, Cindy, and son, Jack.-Awards:*21 career Pro Stock wins.*2004 NHRA Rookie of The Year....
Open Wheel
Perhaps the most successful driver from Minnesota is Tommy MiltonTommy Milton
Tommy Milton was an American race car driver best known as the first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was notable for having only one functional eye -- a disability that would have disqualified him from competing in modern motorsports.Born in St...
. Milton became the first driver to win two Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
s with his wins in 1921
1921 Indianapolis 500
Results of the 1921 Indianapolis 500 held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1921....
and 1923
1923 Indianapolis 500
Results of the 1923 Indianapolis 500 held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30, 1923....
. Amazingly, Milton was completely blind in his right eye. In 2007 Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
's Leilani Munter
Leilani Munter
Leilani Münter is an American race car driver and environmental activist. She drives in the ARCA Racing Series, and previously drove in the Firestone Indy Lights, the development league of IndyCar. Prior to her debut in open wheel racing, she was a stock car driver in the NASCAR Elite division...
became the fourth woman in history to compete in the Indy Pro Series
Indy Pro Series
Firestone Indy Lights is a developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar. Previously, another series named Indy Lights filled the same role for CART and ran from 1986 to 1993 as the American Racing Series and Dayton Indy Lights from 1991 to 2001...
, the development league of IndyCar
IndyCar
IndyCar is the trade name of an American-based open-wheel auto racing sanctioning body. IndyCar sanctions three racing series, the premier IZOD IndyCar Series with its centerpiece Indianapolis 500, and developmental series Firestone Indy Lights and the U.S...
.
The aforementioned Brainerd International Raceway also hosts a 3-mile road course, which held a USAC
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
race in 1969 among other events.
Rally
Rally AmericaRally America
The Rally America National Championship is the national championship of rallying events in the United States. The inaugural season was in 2005. Rally America was also the name given to the organization that sanctioned the championship, was briefly rebranded to RallyCar in July 2010, then reverted...
, based out of Golden Valley, holds an annual event in the woodlands near Bemidji. Known as the Ojibwe Forests Rally, the event is held near the end of August each year. Rally America also holds events in Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Colorado. X-Games superstar, Travis Pastrana
Travis Pastrana
Travis Alan Pastrana is an American motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships and X Games gold medals in several events, including supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, and rally racing. He runs a show called Nitro Circus with some of his friends...
, is a regular in the series.
World of Outlaws
There is a yearly World of OutlawsWorld of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
(WoO) sprint car event held at Princeton Raceway. Known as the PolyDome Princeton Nationals, the event is most likely held at the track due to WoO driver, Craig Dollansky, being from nearby Elk River. The 1/4 mile track leads to some exciting, action-packed racing.
College
The state of Minnesota has 27 schools competing in the National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA). Minnesota is one of eleven US states that do not have a school listed as an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) member, though there are schools transitioning from the NAIA to the NCAA.
Division I
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
compete in NCAA Division I as member of the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
for all sports but hockey. In the latter sport the school is a member of the NCAA's Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
. The Golden Gophers have won 24 total national collegiate championships, including 6 in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, 5 in men's hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, 3 in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, 3 in women's hockey, 2 in men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, 1 in men's golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, 1 in men's track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and 3 in men's wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
. The entire list of collegiate national championships can be found here. The Golden Gophers have also won 178 conference titles. A list of notable former Golden Gophers can be found at Minnesota Golden Gophers#Notable Gopher athletes and coaches.
Four other universities in Minnesota maintain NCAA Division I ice hockey programs, and all five field both men's and women's teams. The other four Division I schools (for ice hockey only) are Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It is a part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities .-History:BSU was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School...
, the University of Minnesota Duluth
University of Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
, and St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...
. All five schools participate in the WCHA
WCHA
WCHA is an AM radio station broadcasting at 800kHz. Owned by Main Line Broadcasting, it is licensed to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, serving the Hagerstown-Chambersburg area. WCHA is an Oldies and Classic Hits formatted broadcast radio station. WCHA simulcasts on sister AM station WHAG and on...
. Duluth has produced five Division I championships in women's ice hockey and one Division I championship in men's ice hockey.
Division II
The NCAA Division II teams in Minnesota are from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate ConferenceNorthern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. Nine of its members are in Minnesota, with two members in South Dakota and one member each in the states of Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota. It participates in the NCAA's...
(NSIC). There are 9 Division II classified schools for the 2007–2008 year.
The NSIC was founded in 1932 and joined the NCAA in 1992. Teams competing in the NSIC are:
- Bemidji State UniversityBemidji State UniversityBemidji State University is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It is a part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities .-History:BSU was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School...
- Beavers - Concordia University, Saint PaulConcordia University, Saint PaulConcordia University is a liberal arts university located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Concordia University was founded in 1893 and currently enrolls approximately 2,800 students...
- Golden Bears - University of Minnesota CrookstonUniversity of Minnesota CrookstonThe University of Minnesota, Crookston is a four-year university located in Crookston, Minnesota. With 1,600 undergraduate students , it is one of five campuses in the University of Minnesota system. Currently, students from 29 countries and 40 states are enrolled .Located on the northern edge of...
- Golden Eagles - University of Minnesota DuluthUniversity of Minnesota DuluthThe University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
- Bulldogs - Minnesota State University, MankatoMinnesota State University, MankatoMinnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
- Mavericks - Minnesota State University MoorheadMinnesota State University MoorheadMinnesota State University Moorhead is a four-year, public university located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has an enrollment of nearly 7,500 students and 337 full-time faculty members. MSUM is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system...
- Dragons - Southwest Minnesota State UniversitySouthwest Minnesota State UniversitySouthwest Minnesota State University is a public, four-year university that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It is located in Marshall, Minnesota, United States, a city of 13,000 people. The school has a full-time enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and...
- Mustangs - St. Cloud State UniversitySt. Cloud State UniversitySt. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...
- Huskies - Winona State UniversityWinona State UniversityWinona State University is a comprehensive public university in Winona, Minnesota, United States, a college and river town located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, with around 8,900 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students...
- Warriors
Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Mankato and St. Cloud 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. Minnesota State, Mankato has produced three NCAA Division II titles, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth has produced two Division II titles in football. Winona State has won two NCAA Division II titles. Concordia, St. Paul has won four NCAA Division II title in Volleyball. UM-Crookston, MSU-Moorhead, Southwest Minnesota State and St. Cloud State have not won any NCAA team titles.
Division III
The NCAA Division III teams in Minnesota play in one of two leagues, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceMinnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member schools are located in the state of Minnesota...
(MIAC) or the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference is a college-level athletic conference. The UMAC is a member-conference of the NCAA Division III. The UMAC was formerly affiliated with the NAIA. Corey Borchardt is the current commissioner of the UMAC, and was appointed to the position in 2008...
(UMAC).
Teams competing in the MIAC:
- Augsburg CollegeAugsburg CollegeAugsburg College is a selective liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Augsburg was named for the Augsburg Confession, the document of Lutheran belief. The school was founded in 1869 in Marshall, Wisconsin as Augsburg Seminary and moved...
- Auggies - Bethel UniversityBethel University (Minnesota)Bethel University is a Christian higher education institution with approximately 6,000 students from 36 countries enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, seminary, and adult education programs...
- Royals - Carleton CollegeCarleton CollegeCarleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
- Knights - Concordia College, MoorheadConcordia College, MoorheadConcordia College is a private liberal arts school located in Moorhead, Minnesota, United States. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and offers bachelors' degrees in the arts and music, as well as a master's degree in education. The college was founded by Norwegian...
- Cobbers - Gustavus Adolphus CollegeGustavus Adolphus CollegeGustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. A coeducational, four-year, residential institution, it was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans. To this day the school is firmly...
- Gusties - Hamline UniversityHamline University-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
- Pipers - Macalester CollegeMacalester CollegeMacalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...
- Scots - College of Saint Benedict - Blazers (women only)
- College of St. CatherineCollege of St. CatherineSt. Catherine University is a private Catholic university for women located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. There is also a campus in Minneapolis. Enrollment is 5,246 students. With approximately 2,900 bachelor's students, it is the largest university for women in the United States. Its...
- Wildcats (women only) - St. John's University - Johnnies (men only)
- St. Mary's UniversitySaint Mary's University of MinnesotaSaint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private, comprehensive, coeducational university with an undergraduate campus in the city of Winona, Minnesota, United States...
- Cardinals - St. Olaf CollegeSt. Olaf CollegeSt. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
- Oles - University of St. ThomasUniversity of St. Thomas (Minnesota)The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic, liberal arts, and archdiocesan university located in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States...
- Tommies
The MIAC was founded in 1920. Conference schools have won 30 total NCAA titles. Among those titles are Augsburg's nine wrestling titles, and St. Thomas' eleven total titles.
Teams competing in the UMAC:
- Bethany Lutheran CollegeBethany Lutheran CollegeBethany Lutheran College is a private residential liberal arts college founded in 1927. BLC is a Christian coeducational college operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod...
- Vikings - Crown CollegeCrown College (Minnesota)Crown College is a private Christian college in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, an exurb of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and...
- Storm - Martin Luther CollegeMartin Luther CollegeThis article deals with the WELS-affiliated tertiary institution in Minnesota. See Luther College for the ELCA institution in Iowa.Martin Luther College is the college of ministry operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod...
- Knights - University of Minnesota Morris - Cougars
- Northwestern CollegeNorthwestern College (Minnesota)Northwestern College is a private Christian college located in Roseville, Minnesota, and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Established in 1902 as Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School by Dr...
- Eagles - College of St. ScholasticaThe College of St. ScholasticaThe College of Saint Scholastica is a private college with its main campus located in Duluth, Minnesota. The College was founded in 1912 by a group of pioneering Benedictine Sisters who offered college courses to six young women. Today St. Scholastica educates more than 4,000 students annually and...
- Saints
The UMAC was founded in 1972. The conference became an active NCAA Division III conference July 1, 2008. There are eight full members, six from Minnesota. All six Minnesota members are full Division III members.
North Central University
North Central University
North Central University is a coeducational, undergraduate, primarily residential college owned and operated by 11 Assemblies of God districts of the upper Midwest. It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA...
in Minneapolis, is an independent school that is also transitioning into the NCAA Division III .
Olympians from Minnesota
The United States hockey team won the OlympicWinter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
for ice hockey in 1980
Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics was held at the Olympic Arena and the Olympic Fieldhouse in Lake Placid, New York. Twelve teams competed in the tournament, which was held from February 12 to February 24...
, coached by Minnesota native Herb Brooks
Herb Brooks
Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980...
. Eleven of the twenty players on the roster were from Minnesota. The team beat the long-dominant Soviet team
Soviet national ice hockey team
The Soviet national ice hockey team , was the national hockey team of the Soviet Union. The Soviets were the most dominant team of all time in international play. The team won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament between 1954 and 1991 held by the International Ice Hockey Federation...
in what has been called the Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
, and went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland.
The 1960 United States hockey team won the Olympic
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the 1960 Winter Olympics. Six of the 18 members of that team were from Minnesota. The team beat the Canadian ice hockey team in the final game to secure the gold medal.
A substantial number of players on the 1956 Olympic silver medal hockey team came from Minnesota.
Similarly, the majority of players on the 1972 Olympic silver medal hockey team came from Minnesota.
In the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, both the bronze medal U.S. men's
Pete Fenson
Peter Fenson is an American curler, skip of the men's rink which represented the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The rink took the bronze medal, the first ever Olympic medal for the United States in curling...
and the women's
Cassandra Johnson
Cassandra "Cassie" Potter is an American curler best known for skipping the United States Women's Curling Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2005 Women's World Curling Championships.-Biography:...
curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
teams came from the Bemidji Curling Club
Bemidji Curling Club
The Bemidji Curling Club is a curling club located in the city of Bemidji, Minnesota. It is notable for its long line of champions in many different competitions, including men's and women's rinks which represented the United States in the 2005 World Curling Championship and the 2006 Winter...
.
Bloomington native Tom Malchow
Tom Malchow
Thomas James Malchow is a swimmer from the United States, who won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He broke Denis Pankratov's world record in the 200 m butterfly in 2000.Malchow was also a captain of the U.S. Men's Swimming Team at the 2004...
won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in swimming.
Carrie Tollefson
Carrie Tollefson
Carrie Tollefson is an American middle distance runner who was on the US 2004 Summer Olympic team....
was on the 2004 Summer Olympic team as a distance runner and ranked 5th in 2006.
Minnesota was well represented in the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Bejiing.
- Kara GoucherKara GoucherKara Goucher is an American long-distance runner.-Personal life:Goucher was born in Queens, New York. When she was 4 years old her family moved to Duluth, Minnesota after her father was killed by a drunk driver on the Harlem River Drive...
(b. July 9, 1978, Queens, New York) lived in DuluthDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
and qualified for the 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter runs. - Shani MarksShani MarksShani Marks is an American athlete who competes in the triple jump. Marks finished first at the U.S...
(b. August 24, 1980, Bloomington, IllinoisBloomington, IllinoisBloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
) lives in Brooklyn ParkBrooklyn Park, MinnesotaAccording to the 2010 census, there were 75,781 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 52% White, 24% African American, 1% Native American, 15% Asian, 42 residents identifying themselves as Pacific Islander, 4% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
and qualified for the triple jumpTriple jumpThe triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
. - Matt SchnobrichMatt SchnobrichMatt Schnobrich is a male rower who qualified for the prestigious bow seat in the United States Men's Eight in the rowing events of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing....
(b. November 12, 1978, Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
) qualified for the bowBow (ship)The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
seat of an eight-man rowRowing (sport)Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
boat (see boat positionsBoat positions (sport rowing)In the sport of rowing, each rower is numbered by boat position in ascending order from the bow to the stern . The person who is seated on the first seat is always the 'bowman', or more commonly called just 'bow', the closest to the stern is commonly referred to as the 'strokeman' or 'stroke'...
). - Micah BoydMicah BoydMicah Boyd is a male crew rower who qualified for the prestigious eight-man rowing competition of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing for the United States...
(b. April 6, 1982, Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
) qualified for the eight-man rowRowing (sport)Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
boat in rowingRowing at the Summer OlympicsRowing at the Summer Olympics has been part of the competition since the 1900 Summer Olympics. Rowing was on the program at the 1896 Summer Olympics but was cancelled due to bad weather. Only men were allowed to compete until the women's events were introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal...
. He trained at the Minnesota Boat ClubMinnesota Boat Club Boathouse on Raspberry IslandThe Minnesota Boat Club Boathouse on Raspberry Island is the home of the Minnesota Boat Club, a rowing club founded in 1870. It is Minnesota's oldest athletic organization. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota....
in Saint Paul. - Ali BernardAli BernardAli Bernard is a female wrestler who earned a bye in women's freestyle wrestling qualifying her to compete against 2004 bronze medal-winner Katie Downing, whom she defeated in two matches at the 2008 qualifying match in Las Vegas; that feat earned her a spot to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics...
(b. April 11, 1986, New Ulm, MinnesotaNew Ulm, MinnesotaNew Ulm is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brown County....
) earned a byeBye (sports)A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
in women's freestyle wrestlingFreestyle wrestlingFreestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
. She was the state female high school champion in 2004. - Jake DeitchlerJake DeitchlerJacob Deitchler , son of Jason and Racheal Deitchler, is an American wrestler who won a position on the United States Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team in June 2008. Deitchler, from Ramsey, Minnesota, is a University of Minnesota recruit and is only the third wrestler in history to come directly...
(b. December 1, 1989, Mayville, North DakotaMayville, North DakotaMayville is a city in Traill County, North Dakota in the United States. The population was 1,858 at the 2010 census, which makes Mayville the largest community in Traill County. Mayville was founded in 1881....
) lives in AnokaAnoka, MinnesotaAt the 2000 census, there were 18,076 people, 7,262 households and 4,408 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,709.0 per square mile . There were 7,398 housing units at an average density of 1,108.7 per square mile...
and qualified in men's Greco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
. - Becky HolderBecky HolderRebecca Holder is a female equestrian who qualified for the Eventing competition of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing from Mendota Heights, Minnesota, competing for the United States for her first ever time. She has been riding the 12-year-old, Courageous Comet, a gray off-the-track thoroughbred...
(b. April 24, 1969, Fort Leonardwood, MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
) lives in Mendota HeightsMendota Heights, MinnesotaAt the 2000 census, there were 11,434 people, 4,178 households and 3,237 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,222.2 per square mile . There were 4,252 housing units at an average density of 454.5 per square mile...
and qualified for equestrianEquestrian at the Summer OlympicsEquestrianism made its Summer Olympics debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It disappeared until 1912, but has appeared at every Summer Olympic Games since. The current Olympic equestrian disciplines are Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping...
eventingEventingEventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...
. - Sada JacobsonSada JacobsonSada Molly Jacobson is an American fencer. Her hometown is Dunwoody, GA. She is the 2008 Olympic Individual Sabre silver medalist and 2004 Olympic Individual Sabre bronze medalist. She has been training at Nellya fencers from a young age.-Background:Jacobson is a daughter of David Jacobson, a...
(b. February 14, 1983, Rochester, MinnesotaRochester, MinnesotaRochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
) already had won the bronze medalBronze medalA bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the 2004 Summer Olympic games in sabreSabre (fencing)The sabre is one of the three weapons of modern sport fencing, and is alternatively spelled saber in American English. The sabre differs from the other modern fencing weapons, the épée and foil, in that it is possible to score with the edge of the blade; for this reason, sabreur movements and...
fencingFencingFencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
. - Megan KalmoeMegan KalmoeMegan Kalmoe, is a female crew rower who reached the final of the double sculls competition of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, with teammate Ellen Tomek, competing for the United States. The duo finished fifth overall, with a time of 7:17.53 over 2000m. The double trained at the U.S...
(b. August 21, 1983, Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
) qualified for the women's double sculls rowingRowing at the Summer OlympicsRowing at the Summer Olympics has been part of the competition since the 1900 Summer Olympics. Rowing was on the program at the 1896 Summer Olympics but was cancelled due to bad weather. Only men were allowed to compete until the women's events were introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal...
competition. - Chris ReitsmaChris ReitsmaChristopher Michael Reitsma is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played seven seasons in the majors, from until , with the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners.-Red Sox and Reds:...
(b. December 31, 1977, Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
) was selected for the Canadian men's baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team.
Baseball
Summer Collegiate Baseball is present in Minnesota with the SCBA-sanctioned Northwoods LeagueNorthwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of the top college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate...
. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate, and therefore are not paid. Minnesota's Northwoods League teams are the Alexandria Beetles
Alexandria Beetles
The Alexandria Beetles are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays at Knute Nelson Memorial Park in Alexandria, Minnesota.- External links :* - official site...
, Brainerd Blue Thunder, Duluth Huskies
Duluth Huskies
The Duluth Huskies are an amateur baseball team playing in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. They have been operating in Duluth, Minnesota since 2003. The Huskies play home games at Wade Stadium in Duluth, which was built in 1941. The team plays 70 games throughout the...
, Mankato Moondogs
Mankato MoonDogs
The Mankato MoonDogs are an amateur baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The team started play in 1999 as the Mankato Mashers and were renamed in 2002...
, Rochester Honkers
Rochester Honkers
The Rochester Honkers are an amateur baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Their home games are played at Mayo Field in Rochester, Minnesota....
, and St. Cloud River Bats
St. Cloud River Bats
The St. Cloud River Bats are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Their home games are played at the Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minnesota...
. The Northwoods League Offices are located in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
. There are also Northwoods League teams operating in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
are an American Association team founded in 1996. They won five Northern League titles in 1998, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2010 (the last year of the league). Jim Osgar was the greatest baseball player ever to come out of Minnesota.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
teams associated with Minnesota include the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
(AAA), the New Britain Rock Cats
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club. They compete in the Eastern League and play their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.-History:...
(AA), the Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
s (High-A), the Beloit Snappers
Beloit Snappers
The Beloit Snappers are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, that plays in the Midwest League.Beloit joined the Midwest League as an expansion franchise in 1982. They were a Milwaukee Brewers farm team from its beginning through 2004; they switched to the...
(Low-A), the Elizabethton Twins
Elizabethton Twins
The Elizabethton Twins are a minor league baseball team in Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA. They are a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League, and have been a farm team of the Minnesota Twins since 1974. The Twins play home games at Joe O'Brien Field...
(Rookie), the DSL Twins of the Dominican Summer League
Dominican Summer League
The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20...
, and GCL Twins of the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
, all sponsored by the Minnesota Twins.
American Legion baseball is played throughout the state in summer.
Golf
Minnesota has more golfers per capita than any state in the U.S. Hazeltine National Golf Club played host to the 2006 U.S. Amateur.Curling
In addition to the Bemidji Curling ClubBemidji Curling Club
The Bemidji Curling Club is a curling club located in the city of Bemidji, Minnesota. It is notable for its long line of champions in many different competitions, including men's and women's rinks which represented the United States in the 2005 World Curling Championship and the 2006 Winter...
whose members competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics, there are over two dozen curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
clubs in the state.
Roller derby
Minnesota is home to the Minnesota RollerGirlsMinnesota RollerGirls
Minnesota RollerGirls is an all-women amateur flat-track roller derby league based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area of the U.S. state of Minnesota...
(Saint Paul), North Star Roller Girls
North Star Roller Girls
The North Star Roller Girls is a 100% female skater owned and operated amateur roller derby league which plays by Women's Flat Track Derby Association rules. NSRG plays at the Minneapolis Convention Center. In December of 2008, NSRG was admitted to WFTDA as its 65th member league.The North Star...
(Minneapolis) and T. C. Terrors (Men's travel team). Founded in 2004, 2006, and 2007 respectively, the women's leagues have shown increasing popularity over their existence, with the Minnesota RollerGirls having reached attendance levels of 4,200 spectators at their venue, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Roy Wilkins Auditorium
The Roy Wilkins Auditorium is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed by renowned African American municipal architect Clarence W. Wigington, it was built in 1932 as the St. Paul Auditorium, and was renamed for Roy Wilkins in 1985...
, part of the Xcel Energy Center
Xcel Energy Center
The Xcel Energy Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is named for its locally-based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 18,064, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three general seating levels. The arena is owned by the...
. The North Star Roller Girls started their 2007–2008 season in a new home, the Minneapolis Convention Center
Minneapolis Convention Center
The Minneapolis Convention Center is a large convention center located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is located one block away from Nicollet Mall near Orchestra Hall. The Minneapolis Convention Center has a quadruple-domed roof and because of its volume can host multiple events on the...
, having outgrown the capacity of Coon Rapids' Cheap Skate roller rink.
Soccer
Every year in summer (generally in July) at Blaine'sBlaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
National Sports Center
National Sports Center
The National Sports Center is a 600-acre multi-sport complex located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States, that includes a soccer stadium, over 50 full-sized soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink, which is...
the Schwan’s USA CUP is played: the largest international youth soccer tournament in North America with over 1,000 teams and participants from 22 countries.