Bamboo plants are found in tropical climates. Over the course of three years, wood textured bamboo slowly develops underground. Each day, sunlight, soil and fertilizer help the plant mature. By its fourth growing season, bamboo often stretches more than 100 feet into the air. The parallels of this process can be applied to the Gophers' football team.
In 2017, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff planted their own form of ‘bamboo.’ Since then, the ‘tree’ has slowly grown and developed. During his first three seasons, Fleck watched the program ‘grow higher’ every year. Now, after winning 11 games in 2019, the Gophers are set to enter their fourth official growing season.