The Land of 10,000 Lakes has a deep, rich history of college athletics. From the University of Minnesota's foundational roots in college football as one of its first superpowers to legendary hockey coach John Mariucci, who spurred the growth of amateur hockey across the state, the state of Minnesota is responsible for large swaths of the collegiate landscape looking like it does today.
While the football program may not be the perennial national champion threat it was pre-World War II, it has carved out a nice niche under P.J. Fleck as a perennial bowl team. The basketball programs have seen some notable names pass through as well.
But where Minnesota really sees its shine, particularly contemporarily, is in hockey.
Both the University of Minnesota
and Minnesota-Duluth — not to mention Minnesota State — have found success in hockey's postseason. Some of the sport's biggest stars have come out of the North Star State, and it continues to be a foundational hotbed for North American amateur hockey. With that in mind, here's a look at some of the most influential athletes in Minnesota college sports.
10 greatest college athletes from Minnesota
Dave Winfield, Minnesota
Dave Winfield was a two-sport athlete for Minnesota, lettering in basketball and baseball. While he's known for his Hall of Fame MLB career, Winfield was part of some historic moments in Minneapolis. On the hardwood, Winfield helped the Golden Gophers basketball team win the Big Ten in 1972 for the first time in over half a century. He led Minnesota to the 1973 College World Series, where he won MVP despite the Golden Gophers being knocked out before the championship game. In Omaha, Winfield hit .467 and pitched 17 1/3 innings, logging 29 strikeouts and one earned run. A testament to his all-around athletic ability, Winfield is the only player drafted by the NBA, MLB and NFL.
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Kevin McHale, Minnesota
Of course, Winfield walked so Kevin McHale could run. A few years after Winfield helped the Golden Gophers win the Big Ten, Kevin McHale came on the scene and established himself as one of the best players in Minnesota basketball history. McHale finished his Minnesota career with 1,704 points and 950 rebounds, eighth and third in Minnesota history, respectively, and he was named All-Big Ten twice. McHale's best work, of course, was done in the NBA. But he made the College Basketball Hall of Fame for his efforts and became a staple of the sport in the state.
Brett Hull, Minnesota-Duluth
Nestled at the very tip of Lake Superior, Minnesota-Duluth has fashioned itself into a hockey powerhouse. The Bulldogs have eight Frozen Four appearances, including national titles in 2011, 2018, and 2019. Though he wasn't part of those championship teams, Brett Hull developed a reputation at Minnesota-Duluth for a blazing quick shot and logged 32 goals as a freshman with the Bulldogs. Hull's 52 goals in the 1985-86 season remain a program record, breaking Bill Watson's record of 49 from the season before. Hull went on to have a long and successful NHL career after his two seasons with Minnesota-Duluth.
Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota
Here's a name that should look mighty familiar to college football fans. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded to college football's eminent defensive player, and its namesake is the defensive lineman and fullback who played for the Golden Gophers in their golden years in 1927-29. Nagurski is as much myth as man at this point, but this much we know: He was a force of nature on the gridiron. While his stats are of a different era, his presence was otherworldly at the time. Now, his legacy endures in the sport through his award.
Abbey Murphy, Minnesota
Abbey Murphy might be the most recent addition to this list, but she deserves the recognition. The women's hockey standout emerged as a bona fide star as a sophomore in the 2022-23 season after a solid freshman season in 2020-21. In that sophomore season, she notched 50 points in 39 games, 29 of those points on goals. Where the nation started to take notice of Murphy, however, was in her senior season. In January 2026, she logged, and this is not an exaggeration, one of the filthiest assists hockey has ever seen. Murphy finished her collegiate career with 261 points, second all-time behind Hannah Brandt, and 143 goals, the most in program history. She also got a gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
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John Mayasich, Minnesota
Minnesota hockey has taken great pains to be an American-grown product, and first-generation star John Mayasich, of Croatian descent, possesses the all-time scoring record for the Golden Gophers with 298, including 144 goals. An Olympian, Mayasich notched a record-eight points in an NCAA tournament game against Michigan in 1954. Minnesota has retired Mayasich's No. 8. He is also widely regarded as the best high school hockey player in Minnesota history.
Bruce Smith, Minnesota
No, not that Bruce Smith. While football fans generally associate the name with the legendary Buffalo Bills defensive lineman, the Golden Gophers have a precursor in the 1930s heading into the 1940s. Halfback Bruce Smith was the first Golden Gopher to win a Heisman Trophy, achieving the honor in 1941 as a co-captain of an undefeated Minnesota team that won a national championship. After his college career, Smith was also a fighter pilot in World War II before playing in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams.
Scott Perunovich, Minnesota-Duluth
Another monster of Minnesota-Duluth, Scott Perunovich is a more contemporary addition to this list. He won multiple honors as a freshman, and his success only continued from there. The defenseman won the Hobey Baker Award in 2020, and he was the first Bulldog to win national rookie of the year honors. Perunovich helped to lead the Bulldogs to repeat national championship as a freshman and sophomore in 2018 and 2019. His career was littered with accolades, despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and he exited college as one of the top offensive blue-liners in the sport.
Dryden McKay, Minnesota State
This is not meant to disrespect Robb Stauber, who along with Ryan Miller and McKay is the only other goalie to win the Hobey Baker Award. But Dryden McKay had one of the most impressive college hockey careers between the pipes in recent memory. As a sophomore, McKay finished first in the country with a 1.31 GAA and .942 save percentage. In the 2021-22 season, he led the Mavericks to a runner-up finish the NCAA tournament, and he brought them to their first Frozen Four in 2021. Minnesota State was a different program with McKay in net, and a program that struggled to get Division I traction finally did so with McKay as the last line of defense.
Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota
There's a compelling argument for Rachel Banham to be on this list, but Lindsay Whalen was leading the Golden Gophers during the most successful era of the women's basketball program. Whalen was second-team All-American and averaged 20.6 points per game in both here junior and senior seasons and helped the Golden Gophers to the program's only Final Four appearance in 2004. The year prior, they had gone to the Sweet 16. Her success led to her being picked No. 4 overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2004. Though her return to Minneapolis as a coach for the women's basketball program did not yield much success, she still goes down as one of the most influential players in Minnesota college sports.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from Minnesota
