: For Students, Faculty, and Staff 
“Are you Ready for Some FOOT BALL?” The phrase popularized by the opening theme song to Monday Night Football in the 1990s could also aptly capture the fervor for the sport at the University of Minnesota in the late 1890s.
To coincide with the 1899-1900 football season, editors of Ariel, the weekly student newspaper, announced the creation of a supplementary daily bulletin titled FOOT BALL, the purpose of which was “to create enthusiasm in football, to get everybody thinking and talking about it, and so to aid in bringing success to our team” (Ariel, October 14, 1899, page 60). Twenty-six (26) issues of FOOT BALL were published from October 17 – November 24, 1899.
Cover of the first issue of Foot Ball, October 17, 1899. An editorial on page 2 titled, “The Kick Off,” provided a preview of the publication.
Cover of Foot Ball, November 18, 1899, featuring images of the Minnesota and Wisconsin teams in anticipation of the border-battle game.
FOOT BALL included game previews that featured descriptions of practices and reviews of opposing teams, play-by-play reviews of games, and profiles of players and coaches. It also printed updates on the construction of a new athletic field, Northrop Field, which was dedicated on November 4, 1899 and named for University President Cyrus Northrop.
Cover, Football Program, Minnesota vs. Northwestern, November 4, 1899, “Opening Northrop Field”
“At The Opening of Northrop Field” – image published in the December 5, 1899 issue of Ariel on page 134 depicting spectators standing on the sidelines and seated in the bleachers.
The publication featured articles such as “How To Make Football Popular: Co-operation, Colors, Optimism and Lung Power Needed” (Foot Ball, October 19, 1899, page 3). Lyrics and text for songs, chants, and yells were printed for spectators to familiarize themselves with before games. Announcements for practices and planning sessions for the coordination of cheering, or “rooting,” appeared alongside notices of entertainment planned for the games by the University Band and the Cadet Corps. Advertisements for local businesses promoted the sale of pennants and ribbon, felt, and flannel in the University colors of Old Gold and Maroon to be used for decorations.
“Studying Hard in Football Season” – image published in the December 22, 1899 issue of Ariel on page 167, depicting students seated at a desk holding an issue of Foot Ball.
The success of FOOT BALL in the fall of 1899 proved to Ariel editors that the University of Minnesota was ready for another innovation – a daily newspaper. In January of 1900, a committee was appointed to prepare a plan and draft a constitution for The Minnesota Daily. Members of the Ariel Association, an organization of subscribers, adopted the constitution in February, and elections were held in March to form a new Board of Directors to oversee the management of the newspaper.
The last issue of the weekly Ariel student newspaper was published on April 28, 1900. A notice informed readers that The Minnesota Daily would be published on and after May 1, 1900. A final Ariel editorial (Ariel, April 28, 1900, pages 369-370) announced the readiness and enthusiasm for change:
“Time has come and gone; a new civilization impelled onward by the daily newspaper touches every portion of the earth, and today has touched our boundaries. And we greet it with no hesitating step, no doubting mind. We have been waiting its advent long. Now it is here. Farewell, ARIEL! Welcome, MINNESOTA DAILY!”
Ready for more?
- Access digitized versions of all 26 issues of FOOT BALL in the Ariel Publications collection in the University Digital Conservancy (UDC).
- Access digitized Gopher football programs in the Football Programs collection in the UDC.
- Review the description in the Ariel student newspaper series in the finding aid for the Ariel and the Minnesota Daily Student Newspaper and Magazine collection to learn more about the history of the publication and to access digitized versions of issues available in HathiTrust and GoogleBooks.
- Visit the exhibit, “Beyond the Page: Preserving the Spirit of the University Through An Independent Student Press” open through January 30, 2026 in Elmer L. Andersen Library.
