The symbolism is no accident. More than 5,000 incoming University of Minnesota students will gather this week at the new football stadium and, with the help of the marching band, form a huge “M” that will be photographed from above.
Football is returning to the campus after a 28-year exile, and with it comes the hope that the stadium will bring much more than just the sport. Done right, it could get students more engaged, increase alumni contributions and instill a profound sense of pride in a new, grand tradition. Done wrong, it could bring more of the rowdiness that has rocked Big Ten campuses — and the U itself.