The Gophers football team, with new coach Jerry Kill and staff, starts practice on Monday and is allowed 105 players to participate.  Kill said today he’s heard from former Gophers coaches including Lou Holtz who told him, “You know what you’re doing.  Do it your way.”

The Big Ten announced today it will expand from an eight game conference schedule for each team to nine games starting in 2017.  The Gophers are one of six league teams who will host five conference games in even years (starting in 2018).

Everett Withers, the Gophers defensive coordinator in 2007 under head coach Tim Brewster, is now interim head coach at North Carolina where his former boss, Butch Davis, was dismissed last week.

Minnesota prep football teams begin conditioning practices on Monday, August 15. Blaine, Cretin-Derham Hall, Eden Prairie and Wayzata are expected to be among the best teams in the state.

Brainerd coach Ron Stolski, the all-time state career coaching leader with 330 wins, is coaching again this year and so, too, is Verndale’s Mike Mahlen who has 327 victories.

Dwight Lundeen, going into his 42^nd season at Becker, is the only football coach the school has had.  He has 293 career wins, all at Becker.

The Vikings have four preseason games, playing at Tennessee August 13 and at Seattle August 20, plus home games August 27 and September 1 against Dallas and Houston.  All four are evening games and will be telecast on KARE 11.

The Vikings have to cut their roster down to 75 players by August 30 and reduce it to a final 53 by September 3.

The Vikings are tied for 10^th with the Dolphins and Texans for most difficult regular season schedule in 2011 based on the records of opponents last year, 132-124.  Carolina has the most difficult 2011 schedule among NFL teams with last year’s opponents having a 142-114 record.

Much publicized Gopher basketball newcomers Andre Hollins and Julian Welch will draw attention for more than their resumes.  Their respective jersey numbers are 1 and 00.

Canterbury Park’s Extreme Race Day is Saturday and the event schedule includes more than camel and ostrich racing.  There will be a 100-yard dash and also a race with horses who have never won on turf.  The camels race starts at 3 p.m. with the ostriches scheduled for 4:40 p.m.  Both are non-wagering races.

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Alex Wimmers, the Twins’ 2010 No. 1 draft choice, has been a reliever in four games and started one this season for Fort Myers in Class A.  He is 0-1 in 10 innings with a 6.30 ERA.

For a late season promotion to increase Twins attendance, Cesar Tovar played all nine positions in a 1968 game.  Mostly an outfielder who had major league experience in the infield, too, Tovar accepted the challenge of also catching and pitching in the game.

Last week when Michael Cuddyer pitched one inning for the Twins it brought back memories of Tovar’s performance.  Tony Oliva, who was a teammate of Tovar, was asked about Cuddyer who has major league experience in the infield and outfield.  “I think if Minnesota asked him to catch, he would go and catch, too,” Oliva said.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Sunday on his 1500 ESPN radio show he expects Denard Span to rejoin the team in Anaheim on Tuesday for the start of the Angels series.  The manager has told Span, who hasn’t played with the Twins since June 6, that instead of his regular center field spot he may sometimes be assigned to right or left field.

Span is more comfortable in center, but Gardenhire said Span is willing to play where asked.  Center fielder Ben Revere’s arm isn’t strong enough to play right field.

An article in the August 1 issue of Sporting News Magazine lists “Sports’ Greatest Individual Performances” and No. 4 on the all-time list is Jack Morris’ 10 innings, 1-0 shutout of Atlanta for the Twins in game seven of the 1991 World Series.

Minnesota’s 1997 Mr. Basketball Khalid El-Amin, now 32, said he will play foreign pro basketball again next winter but isn’t sure where.  El-Amin is interested in a coaching career after he retires from playing.

Former Gophers basketball assistant coach Silas McKinnie, who worked for head coach Clem Haskins, is a scout for the Detroit Lions.

Minneapolis native and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is on the cover of the August 1 issue of Sports Illustrated.  He is praised in an NFL article for his off-season work ethic.

Vegasinsider.com makes Alabama the favorite at 4/1 odds to win the 2012 national championship.  Nebraska at 22/1 is the most likely Big Ten team to win the title.

General public tickets for the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 3 in Indianapolis sold out within two hours on Saturday.  After the two participating schools are determined, each will receive 7,500 tickets.  The game will be played at 63,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium.

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