Bison-Gophers football date set for 2011 at new stadium

By Jeff Kolpack

January 22, 2009 at 11:46 PM

FARGO -- The University of Minnesota has scheduled a football rematch with North Dakota State, only this time it will be in a new venue.

The Gopher athletic department announced today that it will play the Bison in 2011 at TCF Bank Stadium, a new facility that is almost completed on campus.

NDSU defeated Minnesota 27-21 at the Metrodome in 2007, a game that drew an estimated Bison fan base of between 20,000 and 30,000. The Gophers also held on for a 10-9 win in 2006.

"We're committed to playing FCS opponents from our region," said Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi. "We think that's a good thing for those institutions, their fans their alumni in this area."

Minnesota is playing South Dakota State in 2010. The Gophers also announced they are hosting USC at TCF Bank Stadium in 2010 and traveling to USC in 2011.

Down the line, Minnesota has scheduled Missouri Valley Football Conference member Western Illinois in 2013 and SDSU in 2015.

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.

Bison-Gophers football date set for 2011 at new stadium

FARGO -- The University of Minnesota has scheduled a football rematch with North Dakota State, only this time it will be in a new venue. The Gopher athletic department announced today that it will play the Bison in 2011 at TCF Bank Stadium, a new...