Minnesota picked up the “Gopher State” nickname after a famous political cartoon by R.O. Sweeny was published in 1858. The University of Minnesota had started using the reference for their yearbook, “The Gopher Annual,” as early as 1887, and football coach Clarence Spears officially named his team the Gophers in 1926. The “Golden” adjective was added in the 1930s by legendary sports writer and broadcaster Halsey Hall due to their gold uniforms and stellar performance on the football field. Brought to you in partnership with College Vault.