Latest news with #Gophers'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
This Big 10 school is putting its golf course up for sale at year's end
This Big 10 school is putting its golf course up for sale at year's end The University of Minnesota's golf course, named after a coach who took the school's program to two conference titles, will close at this golf season's end and is expected to be sold, according to a release sent out by the university on Friday. Les Bolstad Golf Course, located just a few miles to the northeast of the school's main campus, is expected to be put on the market as costs to maintain the facility have become too steep. 'We recognize this course holds generations of memories for our community. This decision reflects careful consideration and was made in light of today's challenging financial environment,' said Calvin Phillips, the university's vice president for student affairs, in a statement that was released Friday. 'As a public university, we have a responsibility to ensure that our land and resources are aligned with our core mission: supporting students, advancing research, and serving the state of Minnesota.' According to a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the school is not looking to sell the adjacent John W. Mooty Golf Facility and short game outdoor training area near the golf course, where the Gophers' men's and women's teams practice. The school hosts its Gopher Invitational at Windsong Farm Golf Club, which sits about 40 minutes west of the campus. Here's more from the Star Tribune: The 140-acre course on Larpenteur Avenue in Falcon Heights will remain open for the rest of the 2025 season, but will not reopen next spring, the statement said. Phillips said the school notified the Board of Regents of its intended actions, and sent a letter to golfers announcing the news. 'We deeply appreciate your support of the golf course and the University of Minnesota,' Phillips wrote in the letter to golfers. Named after Les Bolstad, who won two Big Ten golf championships and then coached the school's teams for 30 years, the course needs investment of nearly $10 million to tackle deferred maintenance and investment to keep the it viable, according to the course's website. A sale price has yet to be determined. The U will obtain two appraisals to determine fair market value, the school said. Falcon Heights, the Minneapolis suburb where the course lies, could potentially rezone the site for future use.
New York Times
13-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Minnesota fires men's basketball coach Ben Johnson after 4 seasons, 0 NCAA Tournaments
INDIANAPOLIS — Minnesota fired men's basketball coach Ben Johnson early Thursday morning, just hours after the Gophers' 72-64 loss to Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament. 'I met with Ben in-person early this morning when the team returned to Minneapolis from the Big Ten men's basketball tournament and informed him that we were making a change in leadership,' Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle said in a statement. 'I thanked him for his dedication and for guiding the program, one he cares deeply about, for the last four years. Ben is a terrific person, and we wish him well.' Advertisement Johnson, 44, coached the Gophers for four years with one trip to the NIT and one winning season. This year, Minnesota finished 15-17 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten play but won five games on the road. Johnson was 56-71 in four seasons and 22-57 in league competition. He was 1-4 in the Big Ten tournament. 'These decisions are difficult and are made after careful consideration and evaluation,' Coyle said. 'The expectation for our program is to compete for championships, and unfortunately, we have not done that in the last four years. 'This is an extremely desirable job in one of the best conferences and cities in the nation, and we fully expect to compete at the highest level on and off the court. We provide a world-class experience for our student-athletes, have one of the best practice facilities in the nation and play games in a historic venue. We offer everything that is needed to be successful, and we will immediately begin a nationwide search for our next men's basketball coach.' Johnson is a Minneapolis native and played his final two collegiate seasons with the Gophers. He also spent five seasons as an assistant for Richard Pitino before ultimately replacing him. Minnesota hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2019. Johnson had no head-coaching experience before landing the Minnesota job. Known as a strong recruiter, both at Xavier and with the Gophers, Johnson's strengths never seemed to translate. He relied heavily on the transfer portal, especially before this season. Johnson signed six newcomers during the last cycle while losing six players himself. 'We've got to do a better job in the portal of just identifying guys that are going to be able to just be really impactful and thankful to have the resources now to do it, because in this league, it's so competitive and so well coached and so tough,' Johnson said after the Northwestern loss. 'Those resources really, really help.' Advertisement Minnesota has perhaps the widest variance of pluses and minuses of any program in the Big Ten. The Twin Cities rank 16th in population among United States metropolitan communities, and the college campus is located in its own Minneapolis neighborhood called Dinkytown. However, the Gophers must compete alongside six major professional sports teams with passionate fan bases and competitive arenas or stadiums within a handful of miles of the university. Minnesota ranked 11th in men's basketball attendance among Big Ten programs, and it often struggles to gain attention in its market. 'Sometimes we're fourth or fifth in the market, and we see that as a huge advantage,' Coyle told The Athletic last year. 'We tell kids, 'When you come to Minnesota, if you want to go to a Minnesota Lynx game, go to a Minnesota Lynx game. It's five minutes from our campus. If you want to go see the Timberwolves play, if you want to go see the Minnesota United, if you want to see the Twins, the Wild, whatever it may be, you can go do those things.' And we sell it.'
