Competitions
Homecoming 2010: September 26 - October 2
Student Competitions
The Gopher Helmet
Found while excavating during construction on campus, the Gopher Helmet is believed to be one of the first football helmets EVER. Forged in the hot fires of Gopher Pride, legend has it that the Gopher Helmet Trophy grants the team that possesses it with fame and glory for all time! However, the only way to obtain this mysterious trophy is to win it through good sportsmanship and outstanding school spirit during the University of Minnesota Homecoming Competitions.
All teams competing in the Overall Competition will be eligible to win the Gopher Helmet traveling trophy for the 2009 academic school year.
All registered University of Minnesota-Twin Cities students are encouraged to participate in Homecoming competitions! The cost to participate is $10 for each member on your team. Get your friends together and take home the trophy! Competition registration closes September 25th.
All participants in Homecoming competitions are expected to read the 2009 Rulebook (Adobe PDF).
Registration for Student Competitions is closed.
Team Divisions
Awards will be given for first, second, and third place within each division and overall.
IFC / Panhellenic Pairing
Compete against all the Greek Life pairings to determine which Greek Chapters are the Homecoming Champions! Must go through the formal “pairing process” to register a group under this division.
Residence Hall
Defend your Residence Hall against other Halls and compete for the title of Homecoming Champion Residence Hall Division! Must live in a university-sponsored living community.
U-Teams
All registered University of Minnesota students can compete in the U-Teams division against other students. U Teams include student groups, off-campus housing, commuters, and all University students. Gather a group of friends and compete for the title of Homecoming Champion U-Teams Division!
Homecoming Overall Competition
The Overall Homecoming Competition is comprised of the single event competitions: Cheer, Flag Football, Lip Sync, and Spirit competitions. Only teams registered for all events will be eligible to win the Overall Homecoming Competition and the Gopher Helmet traveling trophy. Awards will be given for first, second, and third place within each division and overall. The Overall Homecoming Champion will be announced at the Pep Fest on Friday, October 9th, 2009.
The Competitions
Cheer
Ever wonder what cheerleading is really like? Well, imagine your high school days crossed with the routines from Bring It On and you have an annual University of Minnesota tradition as students compete to be named the best Cheer team of Homecoming 2009. With unique songs, crazy stunts, and bizarre vocals, this is a performance not to be missed! The Cheer competition is modeled after the National Cheerleading Association regulations. Participants must attend a mandatory Cheer clinic to compete. The winner will perform on Friday night at the Pep Fest.
Lip Sync
Milli Vanilli isn't the only group that can lip sync! Join in on an annual tradition at the University of Minnesota and compete to see who can best Lip Sync and perform to a mix of songs. Students must "tell a story" and promote the Homecoming theme: The Ultimate Homecoming.
Flag Football
Flag football has been a traditional component of Homecoming for several years. Students compete in a tournament-style competition and games occur in two rounds: prelims and finals. The games are about an hour long with 7 players on the field, at least 3 girls have to be on the field at all times. Each team must supply an official NCAA size football. Each tournament will be single elimination. Flag Football finals will be played on Wednesday, October 7th at TCF Bank Stadium.
Spirit Competition
The Spirit competition judges each team's level of Homecoming "spirit". Spirit will be judged by evaluating teams in areas ranging from participation to attitude and morale. You will be automatically entered into the Spirit competition as part of the Overall competition.