The Gophers are giving fans two chances to peek behind the curtain before the 2026 season kicks off.
Minnesota will open the regular season on Thursday, Sept. 3, against Eastern Illinois at Huntington Bank Stadium, and the buildup includes a pair of public fall camp practices. The first is set for 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, at Athletes Village. The second comes at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 20 at Huntington Bank Stadium.
That means the countdown to football is officially on in Minneapolis, with the Gophers less than a month from game week.
There’s plenty for fans to watch when they get their first look. Minnesota is coming off an 8-5 season and returns a group that helped beat New Mexico in the Rate Bowl.
On offense, quarterback Drake Lindsey is back after throwing 18 touchdowns against six interceptions in his first full season as the starter. Darius Taylor returns to anchor the running back room, while Greg Johnson and Ashton Beers are back up front on the offensive line.
At receiver, Jalen Smith and Javon Tracy headline a talented group.
The defense also brings back a lot of familiar names. Anthony Smith, Karter Menz and Jaxon Howard are set to lead the defensive line. Maverick Baranowski and Matt Kingsbury are the core of the linebacking group, and John Nestor and Kerry Brown are key pieces in the secondary.
Minnesota enters Year 10 under P.J. Fleck, who is now the second-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferenze. Fleck has gone 66-44 at Minnesota, with a 39-40 mark in Big Ten play and a perfect 7-0 record in bowl games.
In Other News...
Gophers Face 3 Camp Battles That Could Decide Their Fast Start
Training camp has barely gotten underway, but Minnesota already has a few early problems to solve if it wants to get off to a fast start. The Gophers are sorting through major competition at safety, on the right side of the offensive line and across a defensive interior that lost plenty of experience, giving this month a real camp feel with jobs there for the taking. P.J. Fleck has already pointed to Zach Harden, Bennett Warren and Naquan Crowder among the players in the mix, which makes the first weeks of August especially important.
For fans, the encouraging part is that these battles will be there to watch in open practices this month, offering an early look at how the depth chart is taking shape. The unresolved part is just how much certainty Minnesota can build before the season opens, because each of those spots carries enough weight to affect how smoothly the offense and defense settle in once the games count. [Read more 🡒]