Minnesota’s non-conference schedule is finally complete, and the last two pieces bring a clear upgrade in challenge for the Gophers.
The program will meet Oklahoma State on November 20 and Utah on November 22 during the Charleston Classic, filling in the two previously unnamed opponents on the schedule. Minnesota already knew it was headed to Charleston; now the matchups are locked in.
Oklahoma State looks like the tougher of the two early tests. The Cowboys finished just a few spots ahead of Minnesota in KenPom last season, even though their record was far better. They won 18 regular-season games and reached the NIT, where Wichita State knocked them out in the second round.
They won’t bring back a ton from that group, but there’s still real talent coming in. Oklahoma State added two recruits rated in the top 50 along with two other four-stars.
Jordan Burks, a former Kentucky recruit who has bounced around since, will finish his career in Stillwater. Joe Lunardi has the Cowboys slotted as a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament right now, and the expectation is that they’ll be better than they were a year ago.
Steve Lutz, now in his second season with Oklahoma State, also makes things uncomfortable by design. His teams play fast - really fast - and usually rank among the country’s leaders in tempo. That makes the Cowboys one of the most demanding non-conference opponents on Minnesota’s slate.
Utah comes next on 11/22, and the Utes are in a similar spot with a second-year coach trying to stabilize the program. Alex Jensen played for Utah under Rick Majerus, got his coaching start under Majerus at Saint Louis, and later spent 10 seasons on the Jazz staff. Now he’s trying to get Utah pointed in the right direction.
The roster turnover is a real issue. Jensen is losing a lot of scoring from a team that went 10-22 last season. Jackson Holcombe is transferring in from Utah Valley, and the Utes are going to need him to deliver a big year if they want to climb back into the top half of the Big 12.
With those games added, Minnesota is officially set to face five Power Five opponents in non-conference play. That’s a clear jump in difficulty from last season, when Missouri and Stanford were the only two P5 teams on the schedule.
Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, SMU and Cal all have the look of games Minnesota could use to strengthen its NCAA Tournament case. The path is there. Now the question is whether the Gophers can bring the same connectedness they showed last season and add enough talent to push themselves into the tournament field.
In Other News...
Gophers Just Crossed A Uniform Line Fans May Not Love
Minnesota football is adding a new look to its helmets this season, and it is one that signals just how far college athletics has drifted into the sponsorship era. The Gophers announced a partnership with Visible, the digital-first wireless carrier powered by Verizon, making it the first helmet bumper sponsor in program history. The logo will appear on the back of every Minnesota helmet starting Sept. 12, another visible reminder of how athletic departments are leaning harder on outside revenue streams.
The move comes as the athletic department also weighs future jersey patch sponsorships while dealing with a budget deficit, a sign the financial pressure is not easing anytime soon. For fans, the helmet addition is the kind of branding step that can feel small in isolation but meaningful in the larger picture, especially for a program trying to balance tradition, aesthetics and the growing cost of running college sports at this level. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Just Crossed A New Branding Line Fans Will Debate
The Gophers are about to take a small but highly visible step into a new era of college sports branding. For the current season, Minnesota football helmets will carry a Visible logo sponsorship sticker on the bottom rear, a placement made possible by a new NCAA rule that now allows commercial logos on equipment. The deal was negotiated by Learfield on behalf of the athletics department, and it extends beyond football with additional branding tied to the schools basketball and hockey programs.
Minnesota will debut the helmet look in its upcoming game against Mississippi State, giving fans their first chance to see how the change lands on the field. For an athletic department trying to keep pace with the financial realities of modern college sports, it is the kind of move that makes business sense even if it invites plenty of debate from supporters who still want their teams gear to look as clean and classic as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Are Bringing A First To Their Helmets This Season
College football uniforms are entering a new era, and Minnesota is stepping into it in a notable way. Gopher Athletics and Learfields Gopher Sports Properties announced a partnership with Visible that will make the company the first-ever helmet bumper partner for Minnesota football, a move that puts the Visible logo on the back of every Golden Gophers helmet starting Sept. 12.
The change will debut during a nationally televised game against Mississippi State, giving Minnesota a high-profile showcase for a sponsorship that follows the NCAAs recent approval of commercial logos on college athletic uniforms. For the Gophers, it is another sign of how quickly branding opportunities are expanding in college sports, with the helmet now serving as more than just team identity on Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]