For fans of the University of Minnesota, the phrase "Ski-U-Mah" is more than just a saying; it's a symbol of school spirit and tradition. But what exactly does it mean, and where did it come from? This article delves into the history, meaning, and cultural significance of this iconic phrase.
Many have likely pondered what P.J. Fleck was conveying when he concluded nearly every interview with a rapid-fire "SKI U MAH".
BTN11: The origins of Ski-U-Mah
The Origins of Ski-U-Mah
The phrase "Ski-U-Mah" has been associated with the University of Minnesota since 1884. According to the U’s Marching Band Centennial Book, “Minnesota Hats Off to Thee,” rugby captain John Adams coined the phrase in 1884 after seeing a group of Dakota boys cheering on a canoe race and yelling, “Ski-Yoo!” the Dakota word for victory.
Adams took a particular liking to the words, so he incorporated them into a song for the athletic teams.
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Pronunciation and Meaning
Let’s start with the pronunciation. The “Ski” is pronounced “sky,” not “skee” like the winter sport.
U of M Rugby captain John Adams who coined the phrase in 1884, had heard Sioux boys yell "ski-yoo!" when they won canoe races on Lake Pepin. He took that as the Sioux word for victory, or exultation. A co-captain added the "mah" to make it rhyme with "rah" and created "Ski-U-Mah!"
However, Dakota-Lakota specialists state that the word "Ski-U" or "Ski-yoo" or "Ski-oo" are not Sioux victory cries or the Sioux word for winning and that what the boys heard that day "Ski-yoo" may have just been a nonverbal exclamation, the way we now yell "Whoo-hoo!" when we have reason to celebrate something.
Other possibilities that they may have heard that day are:
- "Schkee ooh poh!" or "Scheee ooh!" Scheeh/scheen-shay = Try Hard
- "Oh-hee-yah" = To win
- "Oh-hee-un-yum, oh-hee-oohn-yum," = We won
Maybe it was an imitation of something heard. So the MAH doesn't mean a damn thing except as a space filler, whilst Ski U may have been a Dakota victory cheer?
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Ski-U-Mah and P.J. Fleck
Western Michigan University Bronco fans are very accustomed to hearing former coach PJ Fleck and his 'Row the Boat' mantra. But after being introduced as the new coach at Minnesota, the rallying cry is now Ski-U-Mah.
Fleck has used the phrase multiple times during his first day as the Golden Gophers head coach. First after landing in Minnesota and again during his introductory press conference.
Coach P.J. Fleck would like to use the “Row the Boat” slogan along with the University of Minnesota’s “Ski-U-Mah” slogan. When researching the meaning of U of M’s “Ski-U-Mah” slogan, Coach Fleck was pleased to find that Ski-U-Mah’s origins were founded in canoe racing.
The Mascot: Goldy Gopher
Surely you’ve seen Minnesota’s mascot. He’s adorable! Look at how smiley and excited he is in that sweater! Oh, man, furry animals in sweaters! Awwww! I’ve spent five years trying to get over how damn cute Minnesota’s mascot is. He’s so cute.
However, he is distinctly not a gopher. This is a gopher:
Gophers comprise the Geomidae family, although some ground squirrels are erroneously called gophers as well. Gophers are squat creatures whose lifestyle consists of burrowing and storing food in their cheek pouches to bring back to their burrows and hoard. They have become known as pests because they have a tendency to screw up humans’ lawns in their burrowing process. They would not make a good mascot, because quite frankly, they’re not very cute.
However, Minnesota is known as the Gopher State. This is not because of a preponderance of gophers in Minnesota. Gophers are generally found in the Southwest. It’s because of a cartoon from the 1850’s mocking a railroad appropriations bill that depicted gophers driving a train, and it was not intended to be a compliment.
But the nickname stuck and the derogatory meaning fell away. So when time came about to find a mascot for the University of Minnesota, the gopher was the go-to choice. However, whoever was charged with actually drawing said gopher did not choose to draw a gopher. They drew a 13-lined ground squirrel:
AWWWWW! Look at his little striped tail! The same little striped tail Goldy has!
Rivalry Trophies
One of the fun things about the Big Ten is how many rivalry trophies are. It’s fun when, at the end of the year, Northwestern gets to take Illinois’ hat from them, even if it’s a new hat meant to replace a tomahawk.
However, Minnesota goes kind of overkill on this. Several teams have three rivalry trophies, but only Minnesota has four: The Floyd of Rosedale with Iowa, the Little Brown Jug with Michigan, the Paul Bunyan’s Axe with Wisconsin, and the Governor’s Victory Bell with Penn State.
These are of varying levels of awesomeness.
Minnesota's Rivalry Trophies
| Trophy | Rival | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd of Rosedale | Iowa | Awesome because it’s a pig, there’s tons of border hate, and it’s a relatively even series. |
| Paul Bunyan’s Axe | Wisconsin | Pretty cool because it’s Paul Bunyan’s Axe, and it’s the oldest rivalry in college football, dating back to 1890. |
| Little Brown Jug | Michigan | Has history, but it’s kind of silly playing for a trophy if Michigan wins every year. |
| Governor’s Victory Bell | Penn State | Just the silliest. Invented to make Penn State seem at home when the Lions entered the conference in 1993. |
Of those teams above, how many would name Minnesota as their top rival? Iowa, maybe? I think it’s more fun to have one real rival (which Northwestern wishes it does) than to have four schools you’re supposed to care about.