Minnesota’s loss to Mississippi State on Saturday looked ugly on the field, and the numbers behind the Gophers’ roster budget make it look even worse.
At Huntington Bank Stadium, in front of a full crowd and in their first home game against an SEC opponent since 1959, the Golden Gophers were beaten 38-13 by the Bulldogs. The gap showed everywhere. Mississippi State was more talented at nearly every spot and deeper on top of that, which made the game feel lopsided from the start.
By Wednesday, a clearer picture had emerged of why Minnesota may be getting left behind. According to The Athletic, the Gophers are spending somewhere between $18 million and $22 million on their 2026 roster, a figure that places them 16th in the Big Ten.
The conference reportedly averages more than $27 million per roster. Only Iowa, at $17-21 million, and Purdue, at $16-20 million, are listed below Minnesota.
That puts the Gophers in the bottom 20 among power conference programs in talent spending, and more than 20 spots behind Mississippi State, the team that just handled them in Minneapolis.
For PJ Fleck and his staff, the message is plain: after a rough showing against the Bulldogs, there’s no hiding from the money race. Minnesota has to turn around and face Akron this weekend while also figuring out how to come up with more spending power before next offseason.
The Athletic’s report also backs up something that has been floating around all summer - Fleck has been doing a lot with less, especially when it comes to the talent he can afford. There were reports that he gave up some of football’s roster budget to help support Gopher basketball, and the estimate is that Minnesota football gets about $15 million of the $23 million allotted by the House vs NCAA settlement, which allows schools to directly pay athletes.
If those figures are accurate, that would mean the football program has brought in only $3 million to $7 million in NIL money for this season.
In Other News...
Wild Suddenly Have A Stake In Dylan Larkin's Messy Red Wings Standoff
Dylan Larkins trade request has turned an already awkward stretch in Detroit into a situation with ripple effects far beyond the Red Wings. Minnesota has emerged as one of the teams with at least some interest, which makes the Wild part of a conversation that still feels fluid and unresolved. Larkin has not explained publicly why he wants out, and the Red Wings were reportedly caught off guard when the request became public, adding another layer of uncertainty to a front office that is already dealing with management changes.
For the Wild, the real question is whether this can become more than background noise. Detroit has not made a final decision on what to do with Larkin, and so far it has not gotten the kind of offer it would need to seriously move him. Minnesotas involvement matters because the market is still taking shape, but it also leaves the Wild waiting on a standoff that could drag on without a clear end in sight. [Read more 🡒]
Charlie Stramel Is Already Creating A Wild Roster Debate
The Wilds preseason overtime win over the Blackhawks offered more than just a late result on the scoreboard. It also gave Charlie Stramel an early chance to show why Minnesota is already paying close attention after he left college hockey to begin his pro career, and the prospect was on the ice enough to be part of the nights bigger talking points.
Nico Sturms postgame praise only added to the buzz around Stramels fit, with the veteran drawing a lofty comparison based on his own view of the young forwards skating and shot. For a roster that is still sorting out its mix ahead of the regular season, Stramels presence has already turned a routine preseason look into a small but real debate about how quickly he can push his way into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Preseason Crowd Got A Viral Moment Fans Will Love
The Minnesota Wilds preseason opener had the usual warmup-game rhythm until a fan named Colin turned it into the nights biggest buzz. Selected for the teams Shoot for Seasons contest, he stepped to center ice and buried a shot through a narrow opening to win season tickets, giving the building one of those instant crowd-pleasing moments that preseason games always hope to deliver.
Colins celebration made it even better, skating down the ice and jumping into the corner glass while fans around him soaked it in. It was the kind of unscripted, communal moment that travels fast online, and it came during a night that ended with the Wild beating the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime, giving the crowd a win on and off the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]