Latest news with #MinnesotaGoldenGophers
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Penn State fans should know about the Minnesota Golden Gopher sin 2025
In the Big Ten there are programs that are clearly siting toward the top of the conference and thinking about a spot in the College Football Playoff and there are teams that are in clear need of rebuilding or laying a foundation. Minnesota is neither of those programs going into the 2025 college football season. So what exactly is Minnesota? The Gophers could be considered a bit of a wild card team that is capable of giving any top-tier team a legitimate scare while also being a team that could drop some games in frustrating fashion to hold them back. Minnesota is a team with good mental toughness but lacking in some of the key areas that hold them back from making any legitimate push for a spot in the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoff. But they are not to be taken lightly on any given Saturday in the Big Ten. Here is a quick look at the Minnesota Golden Gophers heading into the 2025 college football season. 2024 in Review Minnesota started off the season losing a nailbiter against North Carolina in a defensive battle and dropped a 27-24 game against Michigan a few weeks later to head into October with a 2-3 record. But Minnesota started to put some things together and form a bit of an identity. Minnesota bounced back from the Michigan loss by pulling a 24-17 upset of then-No. 11 USC and followed that with a road win at UCLA and a home win against Maryland. Minnesota then upset no. 24 Illinois on the road at the start of November and gave Penn State a massive scare later in the month before falling 26-25 against the playoff-bound Nittany Lions. But the season ended on a winning note with a victory against rival Wisconsin in Madison and in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against West Virginia. Head Coach Profile Time flies when you are having fun, and the Gophers have been doing that for the most part since the arrival of PJ Fleck back in 2017. Yes, Fleck is entering his ninth season at the helm of the Golden Gophers as he continues to instill the Row the Boat mentality for the program. Fleck is 56-39 in his time with Minnesota and owns an impressive 6-0 record in postseason bowl games with the program, including last season's Duke's Mayo Bowl victory. Fleck is 86-61 for his coaching career, including his four seasons building up the Western Michigan program, which brings him within reach of his 100th career win. That milestone may have to be celebrated next season, but Fleck continues to be a coach who will have his name thrown around the coaching search rumor mill if things go well for him this fall. Top Offensive Player Minnesota has one of the Big Ten's top-10 rushers from last season returning in 2025 with Darius Taylor. Taylor rushed for 986 yards and 10 touchdowns last season as a sophomore. Taylor also had 350 receiving yards on 54 receptions with a pair of receiving touchdowns for Minnesota last season. Taylor was 10th in the Big Ten in rushing yardage and is one of the top returning rushers for 2025 along with Penn State's Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Expect Taylor to be heavily featured in the Minnesota offense once again this fall, and he should eclipse the century mark as a result. Top Defensive Player Minnesota will return one of the top rising defensive stars in the conference with Koi Perich. Perich wasted little time racking up some impressive numbers as a freshman last season with five interceptions to lead the Big Ten. Perich had 46 total tackles and 2.5 TFL. He is also a special-teams weapon for the Gophers with action on punt and kickoff returns. 2025 Schedule Preview Aug. 28 (Thur) vs. Buffalo Sept. 6 vs. Northwestern State Sept. 13 at Cal Sept. 27 vs. Rutgers Oct. 4 at Ohio State Oct. 11 vs. Purdue Oct. 17 (Fri) vs. Nebraska Oct. 25 at Iowa Nov. 1 vs. Michigan State Nov. 14 (Fri) at Oregon Nov. 22 at Northwestern (Wrigley Field) Nov. 29 vs. Wisconsin Penn State will not play Minnesota this season but the Gophers still face some of the stiffest challenges the Big Ten will have to offer this fall. Minnesota will have to play on the road against Ohio State in early October and will play a Friday night game at Oregon in mid-November. Minnesota will get a bye week before playing at Oregon on that Friday night and the other bye week will come before jumping into Big Ten play at the end of September with a home game against Rutgers. Minnesota will also get a Friday home game against Nebraska, which could be a pivotal game for both teams in mid-October. That also gives Minnesota an extra day to prepare for its next game at Iowa the following week. This looks like a schedule that could see a max of nine wins if things go really well, but a season around the .500 mark is not unrealistic to expect from Minnesota. Still, it should end in a bowl game. This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: A Penn State fan's quick guide to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2025
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin rival head coach receives contract extension
The Minnesota Golden Gophers announced a contract extension for head coach P.J. Fleck on Wednesday. The deal adds one year to his original contract, extending it through the 2030 season. According to the Associated Press, Fleck's annual $6 million contract is unchanged with the new deal. The veteran coach enters his ninth season at the helm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2025. He has a 58-39 overall record, including six bowl appearances and a 4-4 record against the rival Wisconsin Badgers. The Gophers recently evened that record with a 24-7 triumph over the Badgers to close the 2024 season. The program's press release notes that Fleck's winning percentage (.597) is third-best in program history among those with at least 45 career games. Entering his ninth season, he'll soon be one of Minnesota's longest-tenured. Wisconsin will close its 2025 season on the road in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Nov. 29. After losing all three trophy games for the first time in program history (Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota), by a combined score of 110-42, it goes without saying that the Badgers reclaiming Paul Bunyan's Axe would go a long way toward redirecting the program's trajectory in a positive direction. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rival Big Ten football coach inks long-term contract extension
The boat will continue to row up north in Minnesota. PJ Fleck, the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, has signed a contract extension that will keep him locked up long-term. The border rival of the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Golden Gophers, extended PJ Fleck through 2030 with his new deal that was just recently signed. The extension was locked into place in early July by the Board of Regents. Fleck has been at just two FBS programs during his time as a head coach since 2013. He spent 2013-2016 with the Western Michigan Broncos, where he parlayed a 13-1 season and a Cotton Bowl trip into a head coaching job at Minnesota. He was 30-22 at Western Michigan. He joined Minnesota in 2017 and owns a career record of 56-39 with a Big Ten record of 33-36. The Gophers have ended the year with a winning record in five of Fleck's eight seasons. Iowa meets Minnesota annually for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy, a big, bronze pig that resides with the winner each year. Since taking over at Minnesota, Iowa has had Fleck's number. PJ Fleck owns just a 1-7 record against the Hawkeyes, with his only win coming in the extremely controversial ruling of Cooper DeJean's punt return fiasco. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ranking all 18 Big Ten football stadiums based on capacity
The Big Ten is home to some of the nation's most historic college football venues, which now stretch from coast to coast. Included among the 18 schools is the birthplace of college football in Piscataway, the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena and the three largest college football stadiums in the country. Here's a breakdown of all 18 Big Ten football stadiums, ranked based on total capacity. No. 18: Martin Athletic Facility* Aug 31, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; A general view of the temporary Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium where the Northwestern Wildcats will play the Miami (Oh) Redhawks in a football game. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports Team: Northwestern Wildcats Advertisement Location: Evanston, Illinois Capacity: 12,023 Year Built: 1991 Record Attendance: 12,023 (2024 vs. Miami (Oh.), Indiana and Wisconsin) Surface: Turf *Martin Athletic Facility is being used as the temporary stadium for Northwestern football in 2025 as the team builds a new football stadium No. 17: Huntington Bank Stadium Oct 29, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Pregame between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports Team: Minnesota Golden Gophers Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Capacity: 50,805 Year built: 2009 Record attendance: 54,147 (2015 vs. TCU) Surface: Turf No. 16: SECU Stadium Nov 4, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) runs off the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Team: Maryland Terrapins Location: College Park, Maryland Capacity: 51,802 Advertisement Year built: 1950 Record attendance: 58,973 (1975 vs. Penn State) Surface: Turf No. 15: SHI Stadium Oct 7, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights football helmets sit on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Team: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Location: Piscataway, New Jersey Capacity: 52,454 Year built: 1994 Record attendance: 55,676 (2022 vs. Penn State) Surface: Turf No. 14: Memorial Stadium The national anthem is played as the flag is raised before the start of the Indiana versus Washington football game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. Team: Indiana Hoosiers Location: Bloomington, Indiana Capacity: 52,626 Year built: 1960 Record attendance: 56,223 (1969 vs. Purdue) Surface: Turf No. 13: Autzen Stadium Nov 24, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks fans cheer as the Ducks football team take the field before a game against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports Team: Oregon Ducks Location: Eugene, Oregon Capacity: 54,000 Year built: 1927 Advertisement Record attendance: 60,129 (2024 vs. Ohio State) Surface: Turf No. 12: Memorial Stadium Dec 5, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; A general view during the first half in a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports Team: Illinois Fighting Illini Location: Champaign, Illinois Capacity: 60,670 Year built: 1923 Record attendance: 78,297 (1984 vs. Missouri) Surface: Turf No. 11: Ross-Ade Stadium Sep 14, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; The Purdue Boilermakers worlds largest drum has a new face to celebrate 150 years of Purdue engineering before a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Team: Purdue Boilermakers Location: West Lafayette, Indiana Capacity: 61,441 Year built: 1924 Record attendance: 71,629 (1980 vs. Indiana) Surface: Grass No. 10: Kinnick Stadium Former Iowa star Cooper DeJean hosted a youth football camp in conjunction with Octane Sports at Kinnick Stadium on June 16, 2025. Team: Iowa Hawkeyes Location: Iowa City, Iowa Capacity: 69,250 Year built: 1929 Advertisement Record attendance: Not specified Surface: Turf No. 9: Husky Stadium Aug 31, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; General view of Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium before a game between the Weber State Wildcats and Washington Huskies. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Team: Washington Huskies Location: Seattle, Washington Capacity: 70,083 Year built: 1920 Record attendance: 72,364 (2016 vs. USC) Surface: Turf No. 8: Spartan Stadium Aug 31, 2018; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of Spartan Stadium during the first quarter of a game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Utah State Aggies at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports Team: Michigan State Spartans Location: East Lansing, Michigan Capacity: 75,005 Year built: 1923 Record attendance: 80,401 (1990 vs. Notre Dame) Surface: Grass No. 7 Camp Randall Stadium Sep 14, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Camp Randall Stadium during the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Wisconsin Badgers. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Team: Wisconsin Badgers Location: Madison, Wisconsin Capacity: 75,822 Year built: 1917 Record attendance: 83,184 (2005 vs. Iowa) Advertisement Surface: Turf No. 6: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Nov 26, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans tight end Randall Telfer (82) catches a 1-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter as UCLA Bruins cornerback Sheldon Price (22) defends at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC defeated UCLA 50-0. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports Team: USC Trojans Location: Los Angeles, California Capacity: 77,500 Year built: 1923 Record attendance: 104,953 (1947 vs. Notre Dame) Surface: Grass No. 5: Memorial Stadium Nov 24, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; A general view of the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports Team: Nebraska Cornhuskers Location: Lincoln, Nebraska Capacity: 90,000 Year built: 1923 Record attendance: 91,585 (2014 vs. Miami) Surface: Turf No. 4: Rose Bowl PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: A general view of play between the Alabama State Hornets and the UCLA Bruins in the first quarter at Rose Bowl on September 10, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by) Team: UCLA Bruins Location: Pasadena, California Capacity: 92,542 Year built: 1922 Record attendance: 106,869 (1973 Rose Bowl Game between USC and Ohio State) Advertisement Surface: Grass No. 3: Ohio Stadium General view of Ohio Stadium before the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by) Team: Ohio State Buckeyes Location: Columbus, Ohio Capacity: 102,780 Year built: 1922 Record attendance: 110,045 (2016 vs. Michigan) Surface: Turf No. 2: Beaver Stadium Sep 29, 2018; University Park, PA, USA; Fireworks go off inside of Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Ohio State defeated Penn State 27-26. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports Team: Penn State Nittany Lions Location: University Park, Pennsylvania Capacity: 106,572 Year built: 1959 Record attendance: 111,030 (2024 vs. Ohio State) Surface: Grass No. 1: Michigan Stadium Apr 2, 2022; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; General view during the Michigan Spring game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports Team: Michigan Wolverines Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Capacity: 107,601 Year built: 1927 Record attendance: 115,109 (2013 vs. Notre Dame) Surface: Turf This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Ranking Big Ten football stadiums by capacity
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
4-star Alabama target announces official commitment date
Yet another Alabama Crimson Tide football recruiting target will be announcing their commitment decision over the coming days. According to a post on social media Friday afternoon, Roman Voss will be announcing his decision this upcoming Monday, June 23. Voss will decide between Alabama and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, two finalists he recently announced back in May. At the moment, Voss is currently considered as the nation's No. 207 overall player according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, as well as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Minnesota where he attends Jackson County Central High School. Voss, a four-star prospect, is also ranked as the No. 12 overall athlete nationally. The decision of Voss is yet another to add to what is a loaded next two weeks for the Crimson Tide. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
