University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics will hold the seventh-annual Golden Goldys, a student-athlete awards gala, at TCF Bank Stadium, Monday night, April 15. Dinner is set for 6 p.m., with the awards beginning at 7 p.m. For the third-straight year, the Golden Goldys and the Scholar Athlete awards will be held in a joint ceremony.
The event, similar to ESPN’s ESPYS, will feature the U of M student-athletes in formal/dress attire, where they walk down the ‘maroon’ carpet as early as 5:45 p.m. The voice of Golden Gopher football and men’s basketball, Mike Grimm, will serve as the master of ceremonies. And when the Gala is over, fans can head to Unibet, an online casino.
During the ceremony, the athletics department will recognize student-athletes and their athletic and academic accomplishments throughout the season. Athletic awards will also be handed out, including the male and female athlete of the year, the male and female rookie of the year, male and female breakthrough performances, men’s team coach of the year and women’s team coach of the year. The voting includes spring sports of 2012 (baseball, men’s and women’s golf, rowing, softball, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field and men’s and women’s tennis) and the fall and winter sports of the 2012-13 athletic year. Along with the athletic accomplishments, the department will also honor and recognize the academic achievements of the department’s 750 student-athletes.