Blog Post

Minnesota Spirit Squad: A Legacy of Excellence

PERFORMERS AND ATHLETES

The University of Minnesota Spirit Squad is the most decorated program in the Gopher Athletic Department and it’s by no accident. This January 2025, the Spirit Squad added two national championship titles to their name in addition to two second-place finishes and a 4th place trophy. The cheerleading team won first in the D1A Small Coed Game Day category, the first national title in a 126-year long history, and was runner-up in the D1A Small Coed Traditional category. The dance team defended their national title in the D1A Pom category, making it a 3-peat for the team. They were also the runner-up to rival team, Ohio, in D1A Jazz. Goldy the Gopher placed 4th in the Mascot Championship after a flawless routine. 

CHEER

Cheerleading began in Minnesota back in 1898 when John Campbell started leading cheers during a football game against Northwestern University. Ever since then we’ve been chanting “Ski-U-Mah” to lead the Gophers onto victory. However, cheerleaders don’t just chant & dance on the sidelines - every year college teams practice year-round for one single competition - the UCA College Nationals. The University of Minnesota cheer team competes in game day and traditional coed divisions. Game day replicates a sideline environment where teams compete a fight song, chant, and timeout song. The traditional coed routine is a two and a half minute routine including a cheer, tumbling, elite group stunts, and pyramids. These routines advance in difficulty every year as teams raise the standard for first place.

DANCE

After the 2024 UDA Nationals, the dance team went viral for their 2nd place Jazz performance to “Dream On” which was an ode to the 20 year anniversary of their first national title won in 2004. The performance was a masterpiece, but rather than dwelling on how to top it, head coach Amanda Gaines focused on what the new team could achieve with their unique strengths. One of the team’s key mottos for the 2024-25 season is “heart over hype,” a reminder that their passion for dance drives them more than the fame and recognition that comes with being one of the top programs in the nation—and the world.

GOLDY THE GOPHER

When most people think of Goldy the Gopher, they picture him hyping up the crowd at sporting events or performing his iconic pushups. But there’s much more to this beloved mascot than meets the eye. Goldy attends around 300–400 events each year, on top of supporting nearly 200 Gopher athletic events. His role goes far beyond entertaining fans—he is a true competitor. He performs a 1 and a half minute skit choreographed to music & sound bites, complete with crowd interaction and elaborate props all relating to their chosen theme. This year Goldy the Gopher’s routine was airline themed and placed 4th nationally. The last time Goldy took home first was in 2017 with a memorable“The Office” theme.

SUPPORT THESE ATHLETES

Despite being an athletic program listed on the Gopher Sports website, the Spirit Squad program often does not receive the same opportunities that other athletes do. Cheer, dance, and mascoting are not sanctioned by the NCAA and therefore are not eligible for as many NIL deals and scholarships. If you would like to support the program, you can do so by donating to the program online.

All photos & videos courtesy of Minnesota Spirit Squad