It's been 30 years since Minnesota won a conference title. And in those years, pro sports teams have wedged into the Gophers' territory. In addition to being home to the Vikings, since the '60s the Twin Cities gained the Twins, Timberwolves and the now-departed North Stars. Paul has also become a major metropolitan center for the arts. All the life the Twin Cities gained in that time has slowly taken away from Gophers football.
College football is romantic.
It's been 31 years since fans have been part of that romance. It's skipped an entire generation of fans. Fans in their 40s haven't seen a great championship team. We can't let that continue to happen. Ed Hellier, a Gophers fan from L akeville, has stayed with Minnesota through the lean years.