Minnesota’s opener against Eastern Illinois was a rout, but P.J. Fleck used his postgame remarks to spotlight something much bigger than a 59-7 win.
The Gophers’ coach pointed out that Minnesota is one of only three Big Ten teams scheduled to face an SEC opponent this season, alongside Ohio State and Michigan. As Fleck put it from the podium at Huntington Bank Stadium, “There’s three teams … from the Big Ten (playing) an SEC opponent this year - Ohio State, Michigan and the Gophers,”
That makes Saturday’s Mississippi State visit stand out even more in a college football landscape where a handful of power matchups are increasingly rare. The only other Big Ten-SEC games on the calendar are No.
1 Ohio State at No. 5 Texas and No.
10 Oklahoma at No. 16 Michigan.
Fleck’s point wasn’t just about one game, though. He noted that five Big Ten programs - reigning national champion Indiana, Washington, Southern Cal, Penn State and Nebraska - won’t play a single Power Four Conference opponent, or Notre Dame, in nonconference play this year.
Minnesota has taken a different path. The Gophers have lined up a power conference opponent in each of the last five years, with Colorado in 2021-22, North Carolina in 2023-24 and California in 2025.
The Mississippi State series was scheduled in 2016, before Fleck arrived in Minneapolis, but he later added Alabama to the schedule for 2032-33. Minnesota will also go to Mississippi State in 2027 and host Cal in 2028.
There are still gaps ahead, though. Minnesota does not have a Power Four opponent scheduled from 2029 through 2031. Fleck said Monday at his weekly news conference that he wants those kinds of games to become annual.
“I think it’s really healthy for that,” Fleck said. “Absolutely.
I think that’s fun. I think it’s exciting.
I think it’s great for the fans.”
He also said the bigger goal is helping create more “parity” in the sport, and he tied that to the way teams are judged in the playoff era.
“Are you punished for it or are you rewarded for it?” Fleck asked about nonconference scheduling.
“There’s been so many … talks when people get to the (College Football Playoff). Is (part of the criteria) the strength of the schedule or is it not?
…
“Whatever it is, I mean, those are the things that I think we have to get our arms around,” Fleck said. “Whether the playoff stays at 12 (teams) or goes at 24.”
He also pointed to the broader direction of the sport, where there appears to be a tentative SEC-Big Ten agreement that future playoff teams in a 24-team format would be required to play 10 games against conference opponents, other power-conference teams and Notre Dame.
The Big Ten has been at nine conference games since 2017, and the SEC just moved to nine this season.
For Fleck, Minnesota’s schedule is already part of the conversation.
“We will see how college football continues to change and evolve, but we’ve proven (our willingness) with our nonconference opponents,” Fleck said.
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Gophers Backfield Takes Another Hit With Fresh Questions Ahead
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Estrada will come back as a sophomore in 2027 under the new eligibility rules, giving Minnesota a reason to think beyond the immediate setback. For now, though, he becomes the fourth Gopher sidelined for the year by a leg injury, a run of attrition that leaves even more pressure on the players still standing in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]
Javon Tracy Just Gave Minnesota A Special Teams Weapon Fans Need To See
Javon Tracys Minnesota debut on special teams was the kind of burst that can change how a team is viewed on a weekly basis. The wide receiver was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after turning a lopsided 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois into a showcase for his open-field ability, piling up a school-record 167 punt return yards on four chances and instantly giving the Gophers a jolt in a phase of the game that often swings hidden yardage.
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Javon Tracy gave Minnesota something it has long wanted on special teams in the season opener, turning his first career game returning punts into a school-record afternoon against Eastern Illinois. The wide receiver was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after piling up 167 punt return yards on four chances and becoming the first Gopher ever to score two punt return touchdowns in the same game.
The burst included an 87-yard return, the second-longest in program history, and it immediately put Tracy in a different conversation as the Gophers look for game-changing plays beyond the offense. Minnesota had not had a player take home the conferences special teams weekly honor since 2024, but Tracys debut as a return man made it clear the staff may have uncovered a weapon worth keeping on the field. [Read more 🡒]