Some of my favorite memories of watching Gophers sports, during my time at the University of Minnesota, have been going to women’s hockey and basketball games with my roommate.

As someone who had never been a huge sports fan growing up, attending Gophers women’s games awoke a sports fanatic within me I didn’t know was there.

Something about these games felt invigorating and lively in a way that I had never experienced at other Minnesota sports games.  

In her time at the University, second-year student Mariam Murad has not gone to a single football game. Her enthusiasm for women’s hockey is a different story, and she loves the thrill of watching the games.  

“If you’re going in person, you get really caught up in the moment, and I think that’s cool,” Murad said.

While the passion I have for these sports is shared by many other students, I can’t help but wish the Gophers women’s teams received the same passion that is reserved for football games and men’s hockey.

There seems to be a gap in the number of people who watch the Gophers women’s versus men’s sports. Capacity at women’s hockey games has averaged at nearly 60% in recent years, and women’s basketball game capacity is only around 22%. Considering how well these teams have been performing, attendance should be higher.  

The teams’ social media followings also show a lack of enthusiasm from fans. The Gophers women’s hockey Instagram page currently has nearly 34,000 followers, while the men’s page has more than 100,000 followers. The respective basketball pages also have a gap, with the men’s page having nearly double the followers of the women’s page.

Murad said the turnout for women’s hockey games versus men’s games was disappointing, especially since the University women’s hockey team wins more consistently. 

“Especially with hockey, if there’s a men’s game and a women’s game at the same time, you’ll have a quarter of the number of people show up to the women’s game,” Murad said. “They’ve all chosen to go to the men’s game instead, and then they’re complaining about watching a team lose.”

When it comes to statistics, Murad is right.

For the 2025-26 season, Minnesota is currently ranked second, according to the USA Hockey Women’s Poll. The Gopher men’s hockey team is currently not in the top 20.

In the 2024-25 overall scores for basketball, the men’s team had a 15-17 record, while the women’s team finished 25-11.

If you want to watch the Gophers win, go to a women’s game.

While every year can be different, our women’s teams have consistently showcased their talent. They’ve performed just as well, if not better, than our men’s teams.

The disparity in enthusiasm can partially be attributed to our culture’s tendency to dismiss and devalue women’s athletics.

Because so much work done by women in society is not given the same merit as work done by men, our culture is predisposed to believe that women’s sports are not of equal value to men’s sports.  

The athleticism and finesse it takes to compete professionally in women’s sports are just as awe-inspiring and valuable as what male athletes are capable of.

While attendance could still be higher, the good news is that it is on the rise for Gopher women’s hockey in recent years.

Additionally, campaigns like Go4her put an emphasis on getting a younger generation involved in women’s sports spectatorship. 

But students say there’s still more to be done.

First-year student Gracie Gallo said she doesn’t see women’s sports at the University getting as much press.

“I feel like they can advertise tickets better, I mean, tickets are free,” Gallo said. “I know there’s a lot of, like, hardcore people that do love our women’s sports teams and do go, but I feel like it’s not enough of the student body.” 

Murad said there are small steps the University could take to promote women’s games, such as using electronic traffic signs, which are usually reserved for notifying people about men’s games, for women’s games as well.

Finding small but impactful ways to promote women’s sports and challenging the viewpoint of sports fans who don’t watch women’s sports can help increase recognition for female athletes. 

Next time you complain about Gopher sports performing poorly, consider that you may not be tuned in to the talent of our women’s teams.  

“Our teams don’t suck, you’re just looking at the wrong teams,”  Murad said.