Know thy enemy, Rutgers: Why they love Minnesota

We love Rutgers. Why? Lots of reasons, personal, professional, emotional. But the people we play, their fans, love their schools, too. Why? Each week we’ll tell their story. Today with go with this week’s opponent, the University of Minnesota. Doing the honors, this week we got 2012 Minnesota graduate Jaime Antonio-Bravo.

OTB: Why did you decide to go to Minnesota ?

Jaime: I decided to attend the U of M for their highly regarded Psychology program. Attending a program that rated in top 5/10 in the country made it an easy decision. Being part of the B1G and vicinity to Minneapolis were also very attractive reasons.

OTB: Do you love UM now and why? What makes it great in your mind?

Jaime: Yeah, U of M will always have a special place in my heart. I am extremely grateful for the high caliber education I was able to receive while also participating in the full "college experience". Attending a Big Ten school with a beautiful campus , while so close to Minneapolis, really made for some fun experiences with so many options and opportunities available only a couple minutes away.

OTB: Were you a sports fan while at Minnesota ?

Jaime: I have always enjoyed sports. I attended a majority of the football games, basketball games along with some wrestling matches and hockey games. I also made it to a Twins, Timberwolves and Vikings game while out there.

OTB: What was the best thing about being on campus? (e.g. location, the people, the food, whatever)

Jaime: I enjoyed the close proximity of so many food options, on campus activities along with Minneapolis events/activities. I lived 3 blocks north off campus my junior and senior years in an area named Dinkytown. There literally are 15+ food options in a three block radius , the football stadium/ basketball arena and hockey arena are all half a mile walking distance. I could also take a 10 minute bus ride to downtown Minneapolis and be at Target Center, Target Field and the Metrodome .

OTB: What was the best thing to happen to you (or in general) while you were at UM ?

Jaime: Just being able to attend so many sporting events was the best thing for me at U of M. Being able to see so many high profile athletes and coaches will always be a treasured memory. While we certainly have been progressing in the right direction in the majority of our sports, we had some stinker seasons while I was there but still seeing coaches like Joe Pa , Jim Tressel, Kirk Ferentz, Bo Pelini along with all the basketball coaches/ players and even witnessing the high caliber of B1G wrestling will be experiences i'll never forget.

OTB: Tell me one or two really cool or important things about Minneapolis?

Jaime: The walkability of the campus and downtown Minneapolis I think is really cool. Overall the campus and city are very beautiful, safe and clean which lead to many adventures around campus and the city. Also the reason it's called the Twin Cities campus is because St. Paul, the capital, is only a 15-20 minute ride from downtown Minneapolis and we have a small campus there, so it was cool to have somewhere else to explore so close by.

OTB: How does/did Minnesota make you feel a part of the school as an undergraduate? How about now as an alum?

Jaime: I think the U of M did as much as they could to entice their students to be an active part of the school. As an alumni I still feel connected to the school and have had the opportunity to attend a couple events for prospective high school students in New York City and attend a good amount of Minnesota and B1G sporting events. Will be rooting on the gophers in State College this fall so looking forward to that and have been able to attend the B1G basketball tournament a number of times and planning to be there in Washington, DC this March. Also attended the Iowa-Rutgers game with the intention to boo Iowa the whole time.

OTB: How important is it to you personally being a graduate of Minnesota ?

Jaime: Having graduated from U of Minnesota is truly a blessing. I have had and will continue to have many wonderful experiences due to the fact I attended a Big Ten school and am happy to have a great group of friends who have benefited from their high caliber education as well. I am lucky to make trips to the midwest at least annually, have been able to do so for weddings in Minneapolis, weekends with college roommates in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis and attended the B1G basketball tournaments in Chicago/Indianapolis. Will always be a Gopher!

On the Banks wants to thank Jaime for his time and insights on this week’s opponent. For anyone going to Minneapolis, have a great weekend. In fact a “rousing” Minnesota weekend.

Yes, Minnesota Rouser. How many of you went to a high school that used it as your fight song? I did.

Rah! Rah! Ski-U-Mah!

Minnesota at a glance

History: Established in 1851 in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul), it is Minnesota's flagship, land grant university. The school shut down following a financial crisis during the American Civil War, but reopened in 1867 with considerable financial help from John S. Pillsbury. It was upgraded from a preparatory school to a college in 1869.

Enrollment: 30,500 undergraduate students study on the Twin Cities campus along with 16,300 graduate and professional students

Location: Minneapolis. Today, the University's Minneapolis campus is divided by the Mississippi River into an East and West Bank. The campus now has buildings on both river banks. The "East Bank" is the main portion of the campus. The West Bank is home to the Law School, the School of Public Affairs, the School of Management, and the performing arts center.

Academics: The university is organized into 19 colleges and schools and six University-wide interdisciplinary centers and institutes. There are 143 undergraduate degree programs and 200 graduate degree programs.

Athletics: Minnesota sponsors 12 men’s and 13 women’s sports. The only Minnesota team that does not compete in the Big Ten is the women's ice hockey team, which competes in the WCHA.