GO GOPHERS! GO GOPHERS!
Go Gophers!

Border Battle

This annual battle for border supremacy between the Athletic Departments at the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin enters its eighth year of existence. The Golden Gophers lead the yearly series, 4-3, and have won three in a row.

The two institutions made an adjustment to the scoring system prior to the 2005-06 season by awarding points to the school which finishes higher at the Big Ten championship in 11 sports in which the Badgers and Golden Gophers don't have a head-to-head competition.

In the first year of the award, points were awarded only in the 11 sports in which UW and UM met in a head-to-head competition.

Officials changed the scoring so that more student-athletes, coaches and fans could be involved in the program. Schools will now earn points for finishing higher at the conference championship event in the additional 11 sports where the schools don't face each other directly.

In the initial year of the battle, each of the 11 sports originally included in the competition had 40 points at stake. If the teams meet just once annually (football as an example), then the winner gets 40 points and the loser gets zero. If the teams meet twice (women's basketball, for example), the winner of each game gets 20 points and the losers get zero. If the teams meet four times (men's hockey for example), then the winner of each game gets 10 points and the loser gets zero. If a game ends in a tie, the points are split (20 to each school).

The new scoring configuration maintains the original scoring structure and adds 40 points to the higher finishing school at the Big Ten championship in the sports of men's and women's cross country, golf, indoor track and outdoor track, swimming and diving and women's rowing.

Six sports are sponsored by only one of the institutions and, thus, not included in the Border Battle. Wisconsin has men's soccer, men's rowing and women's lightweight rowing (UM does not), while Minnesota has baseball and men's and women's gymnastics (UW does not). Adding the 11 sports raises the annual points available to 880.

Border Battle Point Totals

Sport
(Possible Pts)

Date

Site

UM Pts

UW Pts

Soccer (40)

Sept. 29, 2011 Madison

20

20

Women's Hockey (10)

Oct. 14, 2011 Madison

10

Women's Hockey (10)

Oct. 15, 2011 Madison 10

Volleyball (20)

Oct. 19, 2011 Madison 20  

Women's Cross Country (40)

Oct. 28, 2011 Neutral   40

Men's Cross Country (40)

Oct. 28, 2011 Neutral 40

Men's Hockey (10)

Nov. 11, 2011 Madison   10

Men's Hockey (10)

Nov. 12, 2011 Madison 10

 

Football (40)

Nov. 12, 2011 Minneapolis

 

40

Volleyball (20)

Nov. 23, 2011 Minneapolis

20

Women's Hockey (10)

Jan. 6, 2012 Minneapolis 5 5

Women's Hockey (10)

Jan. 7, 2012 Minneapolis 10  

Wrestling (40)

Jan. 22, 2012 Minneapolis 40  

Women's Basketball (40)

Jan. 26, 2012 Minneapolis   40

Men's Basketball (20)

Feb. 9, 2012 Minneapolis 20

Women's Swimming & Diving (40)

Feb. 18, 2012 Neutral 40

 

Women's Indoor Track & Field (40)

Feb. 23, 2012 Neutral

 

 

Men's Indoor Track & Field (40)

Feb. 23, 2012 Neutral  

Men's Tennis (40)

Feb. 25, 2012 Minneapolis    

Men's Swimming & Diving (40)

Feb. 28, 2012 Neutral

Men's Basketball (20)

Feb. 28, 2012 Madison

 

 

Men's Hockey (10)

March 2, 2012 Minneapolis    

Men's Hockey (10)

March 3, 2012 Minneapolis    

Women's Tennis (40)

March 4, 2012 Madison    

Softball (40)

April 6-7, 2012 Madison

Women's Golf (40)

April 28, 2012 Neutral    

Men's Golf (40)

April 28, 2012 Minneapolis  

Women's Outdoor Track & Field (40)

May 12, 2012 Madison    

Men's Outdoor Track & Field (40)

May 12, 2012 Madison    

Rowing (40)

May 13, 2012 Neutral    

Softball (20/20)

TBA TBA    

Point Totals

175

225

Previous Results:

2010-11: Minnesota 455-425

2009-10: Minnesota 550-330

2008-09: Minnesota 535-345

2007-08: Wisconsin 465-415

2006-07: Wisconsin 445-435

2005-06: Minnesota 530-350

2004-05: Wisconsin 215-205

GoldysLockerroom.com