The Gophers football team is conducting spring practice a little differently this year, eliminating the traditional spring game and opening only one practice to members of the Dinkytown Athletes, the athletic department's official NIL collective. are doing.
The Gophers, who finished 6-7 last season, announced their plans Tuesday, noting they have not played a traditional outdoor spring game open to the public on a Saturday since 2017. All games in 2019, 2022 and 2023 were held indoors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, the Gophers will begin spring practice on March 21st. Fans will be able to attend two spring practices, the first of which (March 23 at 11 a.m. at Huntington Bank Stadium) will be exclusive to members of the Dinkytown Athletics.
The era of name, image, and likeness (NIL) has changed college sports, allowing athletes to make money with their brands, and Dinkytown athletes play an important role for the Gophers.
“Dinkytown Athletes will contact members directly about registering to attend practices,” the news release states, directing fans to learn more about members at DinktownAthletes.com.
The Gophers will also hold an open practice at the Olympic Village on April 11th from 4:30 p.m. The release states the times and locations of both public practices are subject to change. For both public practices, fans are encouraged to bring diapers, which will be donated to the Minnesota Diaper Bank.
