Bowl games[]
| Year and Bowl | Winning team | Losing team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 Rose Bowl | Washington | 17 | Minnesota | 7 |
| 1962 Rose Bowl | Minnesota | 21 | UCLA | 3 |
| 1977 Hall of Fame Classic | Maryland | 17 | Minnesota | 7 |
| 1985 Independence Bowl | Minnesota | 20 | Clemson | 13 |
| 1986 Liberty Bowl | Tennessee | 21 | Minnesota | 14 |
| 1999 Sun Bowl | Oregon | 24 | Minnesota | 20 |
| 2000 MicronPC.com Bowl | North Carolina State | 38 | Minnesota | 30 |
| 2002 Music City Bowl | Minnesota | 29 | Arkansas | 14 |
| 2003 Sun Bowl | Minnesota | 31 | Oregon | 30 |
| 2004 Music City Bowl | Minnesota | 20 | Alabama | 16 |
| 2005 Music City Bowl | Virginia | 34 | Minnesota | 31 |
| 2006 Insight Bowl | Texas Tech | 44 | Minnesota | 41 (OT) |
| 2008 Insight Bowl | Kansas | 42 | Minnesota | 21 |
| 2009 Insight Bowl | Iowa State | 14 | Minnesota | 13 |
| 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas | Texas Tech | 34 | Minnesota | 31 |
| 15 Bowl Games | 5 Wins | 10 Losses | ||
Note: From 1918–1945, the Big Ten did not allow its teams to participate in bowls. From 1946–1974, only the conference champion was allowed to attend a bowl.