According to the NCAA's latest Academic Progress Report released Wednesday, the Gophers football team almost lost scholarships this year. Minnesota's multiyear score was 932, two points above the minimum. U of M athletics director Joel Maturi says the team will "shoot the roof off of" next year's report.

The Minnesota Twins avoided their 100th loss Tuesday night with a 7-4 victory over the Royals. Chris Parmelee hit a solo home run and Rene Tosoni blasted a grand slam for the Twins.

Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes now that Jerry Kill's contract was announced you can expect the Gophers to announce Tubby Smith's new contract extension next. Smith recently said his deal was basically done.

One former Gopher who knows what it’s like to suffer a big loss is sticking up for football coach Jerry Kill. Ray Hitchcock was a senior in 1986 when the team lost to Oklahoma 63-0. He tells the Pioneer Press he remains convinced Kill is the right guy to turn the team around despite Saturday’s memorable 58-0 fall to Michigan State. He says most other players and boosters he’s talked to feel the same way.

Taking Floyd of Rosedale back from the Hawkeyes was a highlight of last year's U of M football season. Coach Jerry Kill tells his players the rivalry game with Iowa is almost like a bowl game. And it's probably as close to a bowl game as this year's 1-6 team will get.

Gophers basketball star Trevor Mbakwe is offering to pay back his scholarship this year if Minnesota doesn’t make the NCAA tournament in March. He tweeted that news over the weekend, but FoxSportsNorth now says those messages have been deleted from his account.

Coach Jerry Kill was back on the job, and this time his Gophers came away with a victory.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier is holdings his ground. He says the quarterback position isn't the team's problem right now, and kinks in the offense need to be worked out.