Latest news with #PJFleck
USA Today
3 days ago
- 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
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Inside the Big Ten's love of traveling rivalry trophies — Pigs, axes, buckets and beyond
Editor's note: All week, The Athletic is writing about college football rivalries at a moment of change in the sport. Read our ranking of the top 100 rivalries here and also vote for your favorites. On Halloween 1903, Michigan coach Fielding Yost bought an oversized water jug to sit on his team's sideline during the Wolverines' game at Minnesota. When the Gophers tied the score at 6-6 with two minutes remaining, the crowd of more than 20,000 people and maroon-painted livestock stormed the field. The game was ruled a draw, and Yost left his jug on the field. Advertisement When Yost asked for it back, Minnesota athletic administrator L.J. Cooke responded, 'If you want it, you'll have to win it.' In 1909, Yost reclaimed the Little Brown Jug and, in the process, ignited the Big Ten's love affair with symbols of victory. Nearly 12 decades later, traveling trophies remain a foundational part of Big Ten football, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Minnesota. The Gophers compete for trophies with four Big Ten teams, and three rank as the most recognizable in college football. In many ways, they have become more iconic than the games themselves. 'That's the great thing about being at the University of Minnesota,' Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. 'College football is about the pageantry and the tradition, and we're keeping that at the University of Minnesota. Our fans are really excited about that, especially with Wisconsin and Iowa.' In an atrium outside Minnesota's locker room, there is a glass case for the Little Brown Jug, which Michigan has retained since 2015. There's a dedicated pig pen for Floyd of Rosedale, the 98-pound bronze hog for which the Gophers have played Iowa since 1935. There's a holding cell for Paul Bunyan's Axe, which goes to the Wisconsin-Minnesota winner. In addition, there's a spot for the Governor's Victory Bell against Penn State. The Pig, the Axe and the Jug are organic, magical and historic; the Governor's Victory Bell doesn't share in that longevity. Minnesota has played Wisconsin (134 games), Iowa (118) and Michigan (106) since the 1800s, while the Gophers and Nittany Lions have met just 16 times. Therein lies the duality of the Big Ten's trophy culture. Winning is important, but the keepsake is immortal. Before 2020, players would dash across the field to grab their prize within a few feet of the losing team. That regularly led to scuffles, so trophies are now placed in end zones. Advertisement Trophies have become embedded in Big Ten lore, with replicas appearing on T-shirts and Christmas ornaments sold by shops throughout the Midwest. They often tour their home states and appear at state fairs. Fans bring clones of Paul Bunyan's Axe to tailgates before the Minnesota-Wisconsin game. Both Fleck and Iowa counterpart Kirk Ferentz have Floyd of Rosedale caricatures in their offices. But the passion for prize hardware goes beyond the Upper Midwest states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. It's the entire league. With 21 recognized traveling trophies, the Big Ten has by far the most trinkets of any football conference. Twelve of the trophies are at least 70 years old, and their stories provide a portal into Midwestern culture and the sport's early days. From the Old Oaken Bucket between Indiana and Purdue to the Paul Bunyan Trophy of Michigan and Michigan State, players rally around the symbol as much as the result. Last year, Indiana capped an 11-1 regular season with a 66-0 win against Purdue, which was winless in Big Ten play. Instead of celebrating a likely College Football Playoff berth, sixth-year center Mike Katic ran straight for the Bucket, which the Hoosiers hadn't won since 2019. 'This is the happiest I've been in a long time,' Katic told reporters afterward. 'We haven't had the Bucket in five years. Getting it back in that fashion … I'm over the moon.' Every trophy carries value because they all define victory. But when it comes to the Big Ten's trophies, there's one that squeals the loudest, and that's the pig that saved a rivalry. Bitter feelings permeated the Iowa-Minnesota series well before their 1934 meeting, but they intensified after the Gophers' 48-12 victory. Tensions escalated at Iowa due to accusations that racism lay behind how the Gophers pulverized Hawkeyes running back Ozzie Simmons. The rhetoric spun out of control the morning before the 1935 matchup. In a gathering at the state capitol in Des Moines, an Associated Press reporter overheard Iowa Gov. Clyde Herring allegedly say, 'If the officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used last year, I'm sure the crowd won't.' Advertisement By early afternoon, the story circulated throughout the Midwest, and Minnesota state officials issued threats to Herring. Gophers coach Bernie Bierman, who took his team by train across the Mississippi River and into Illinois, threatened to cut ties with Iowa. Seeking to diffuse the situation, Minnesota Gov. Floyd Olson sent Herring a telegram and wagered a Minnesota prized pig against an Iowa porker. Herring accepted the bet. In a hard-fought but clean game between previously unbeaten teams, the Gophers prevailed 13-6. Herring procured a 200-pound champion hog from Rosedale Farms in north-central Iowa, and it rode a private train car to St. Paul, Minn. After trading hands multiple times, the renamed 'Floyd of Rosedale' moved to a farm near Mabel, Minn., located about six miles north of the state border. The original pig died of cholera in 1936, and that year, Olson commissioned a bronze replica. For the ensuing nine decades, the teams have capped 'Hate Week' with a fierce battle for the pig. Coaches have played their roles over the years, too. In 2020, Ferentz called three consecutive timeouts with a 35-0 lead and 19 seconds left in their 2020 game. When asked why, Ferentz said, 'I thought I'd leave the timeouts (in Minneapolis) and take Floyd with us.' During an Iowa loss at Minnesota in 2006, Ferentz kicked the trophy and broke his toe. After a 12-10 win at Iowa in 2023, Fleck took Floyd of Rosedale to his home in the southwest suburbs to spend the night with him and his wife, Heather. 'I think everybody took that quote a little too seriously when I said that it slept with us,' Fleck said. 'But it was in the room.' Fleck also gave in to some good-natured pettiness. On his way to the office the next morning, he rolled down the windows in his vehicle and drove slowly to the football complex. 'We have one of our neighbors who flies the Iowa Hawkeye flag very proudly,' he said. 'We just wanted to make sure they got a good glimpse out their Ring camera to see old Floyd. We had to see that flag a lot of years after our game.' Floyd may have the best backstory, but Paul Bunyan's Axe has more swagger. Painted red on one side of the blade and gold on the other, Minnesota and Wisconsin battle for the Axe every year. The rivals played for the Slab of Bacon from 1930 to 1943, until Minnesota coach George Hauser declined it as an improper token during World War II food rationing. Advertisement Wisconsin kept the Slab of Bacon, and then it was 'allegedly' misplaced until it turned up in a storage area in 1994. But it was updated annually with the scores of each game. In 1948, Paul Bunyan's Axe became the official traveling trophy, and Wisconsin has since refused to hand the Slab of Bacon back to Minnesota. Other Big Ten trophy origin stories are lighter in tone but are just as important. This year, Ohio State-Illinois and Purdue-Indiana celebrate the centennials of their traveling trophies. In 1925, the Buckeyes and Fighting Illini chose a live turtle to signify their long-lasting spirit of competition. The turtle died in 1927 and was replaced by the wooden Illibuck. Indiana-Purdue ranks second among Big Ten schools in games played. In 1925, their Chicago alumni clubs wanted a traveling trophy and felt an 'Old Oaken Bucket' taken from a water well was 'the most typical Hoosier form of trophy.' They found one on a farm in southern Indiana, and it is believed to be around 180 years old. Indiana and Michigan State have played for the Brass Spittoon since 1950 in the wake of the Big Ten's vote to admit the Spartans. The 200-year-old hardware came from one of Michigan's earliest trading posts. The Spartans and Wolverines play annually for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, a 4-foot replica of the legendary lumberjack. Michigan governor G. Mennen Williams donated it in 1953 after Michigan State officially joined the Big Ten. Illinois and Northwestern met for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk from 1945 to 2007, then retired that trophy and now play for the Land of Lincoln Trophy, modeled after Abraham Lincoln's hat. The Illini and Purdue compete for The Cannon, a six-inch-tall replica of the real cannon that was first brought to Champaign by Boilermaker students in 1905. It was hidden after the game near Illinois' football field, taken to a farm in central Illinois, and then donated back to the schools in 1943. USC and UCLA began playing for the Victory Bell in 1942 and have since incorporated that trophy into the Big Ten. As a tribute to the first African-American football player to compete for both schools, Michigan and Northwestern began playing for the George Jewett Trophy in 2021. Advertisement There are also new ones, like the Land Grant Trophy (Michigan State-Penn State) and the Freedom Trophy (Wisconsin-Nebraska). Iowa's rivalry with Wisconsin began in 1894, but the schools didn't start playing for the Heartland Trophy until 110 years later. The Hawkeyes also battle with Nebraska for the Heroes Trophy. In addition, the Big Ten has five nonconference trophies: Cy-Hawk Trophy (Iowa-Iowa State), Apple Cup (Washington-Washington State), Shillelagh (Purdue-Notre Dame), Jeweled Shillelagh (USC-Notre Dame) and the Megaphone (Michigan State-Notre Dame). Some are more well-known than others, but all of them have value, even the unsanctioned $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy between Minnesota and Nebraska. Some potential trinkets were shelved early, like Purdue-Iowa, because they could diminish the others' value. But the Midwestern obsession over trophies won't go away. Because in the Big Ten, they're synonymous with victory. Before departing on the team bus for Camp Randall Stadium in 2018, Fleck gave every player a bottle of Axe Body Spray in a team meeting. He instructed the players to leave their mark inside the visitors' locker room after reclaiming Paul Bunyan's Axe. 'I said, 'After the game, we'll have an Axe party, and we'll be spraying our Axe,'' Fleck said before the four-hour drive. ''I want you to visualize that. It's going to happen.'' Minnesota won 37-15, and the players emptied their bottles in the visiting locker room. 'Everybody in 2018 remembers the win, but they all remember the smell of a locker, and that's what the 2018 team talks about,' Fleck said. 'They'll never look at Axe Body Spray the same.' (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photos: David Berding, Michael Hickey, Jamie Sabau / Getty Images)
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Minnesota extends P.J. Fleck's contract by 1 year through 2030 with retention bonus bump
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2030 season with an increase in retention bonuses that was approved by the university's board of regents on Wednesday. Fleck's annual $6 million salary remains the same. The retention bonus provision added to his deal in an amendment last year after UCLA pursued him will pay Fleck $1 million for staying at Minnesota through the end of 2025. The annual sweetener increases to $1.2 million for 2026, $1.3 million for 2027, $1.4 million for 2028, $1.5 million for 2029 and $1.6 million for 2030, an additional $2.3 million from the previous amounts. Including the retention bonus, Fleck is tied for 11th in coach compensation in the 18-team Big Ten. The Gophers are 58-39 in eight seasons under Fleck, including 6-0 in bowl games and 34-36 in Big Ten play. His overall winning percentage is third-best in program history among coaches with at least 45 games. ___ AP college football:
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Minnesota extends P.J. Fleck's contract by 1 year through 2030 with retention bonus bump
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2030 season with an increase in retention bonuses that was approved by the university's board of regents on Wednesday. Fleck's annual $6 million salary remains the same. The retention bonus provision added to his deal in an amendment last year after UCLA pursued him will pay Fleck $1 million for staying at Minnesota through the end of 2025. The annual sweetener increases to $1.2 million for 2026, $1.3 million for 2027, $1.4 million for 2028, $1.5 million for 2029 and $1.6 million for 2030, an additional $2.3 million from the previous amounts. Including the retention bonus, Fleck is tied for 11th in coach compensation in the 18-team Big Ten. The Gophers are 58-39 in eight seasons under Fleck, including 6-0 in bowl games and 34-36 in Big Ten play. His overall winning percentage is third-best in program history among coaches with at least 45 games. ___ AP college football:
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
It's Another Huge Week for Gopher Football Recruiting
For the University of Minnesota Gophers football, high school recruiting goes into another gear this time of year. In June alone, dozens and dozens of recruits from around the country have been cycled on and off campus, as PJ Fleck & Co try for to verbally nail down one of the best classes of his tenure in Dinkytown. This week, though, may be PJ's most crucial high school recruiting week since the pride of Esko, Koi Perich, was choosing between the Gophers and Ohio State 1.5 years ago. And it starts right away on Monday, when the No. 1 rated high school football player in Minnesota (247Sports) will announce his verbal commitment. Advertisement Decision Day from top 2026 MN football recruit, Roman Voss Roman Voss is a 4-star athlete (91 OVR) out of Jackson, MN. Prior to Monday's decision, Voss' list of schools — which had included Auburn, Cal, Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, Miami, Wisconsin, USC and Oklahoma (among others) — had already been whittled down to two schools — his home-state Gophers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Voss played mostly quarterback at Jackson High, but both Minnesota and Alabama want the 6'4″ 225 lb freak athlete as a tight end. You don't have to watch his highlights long to see why. Since the 2025 calendar turned to June, the Minnesota Gophers have landed a whopping 14 commitments for the class of 2026. Weekend after weekend, PJ Fleck and his coaching staff have been cycling dozens of the most talented high school football players in the nation through Dinkytown. Advertisement Related: Minnesota Gophers Land Highest-Rated Running Back Recruit in Over a Decade The Gophers' 2026 class — which now has 23 total commits — has vaulted all the way up to No. 16 in the country, according to 247Sports. Because this summer has been an unmitigated success on the 2026 (and a little 2027) high school recruiting trail. (ATH) Pierce Petersohn picking Gopher Football or Penn State But Roman Voss isn't the only in-state freak athlete the Minnesota Gophers are chasing this week. The other — 3-star (89 OVR – ATH) Pierce Petersohn — is out of Triton High School, near Dodge Center. He too is down to two schools, one being his home-state Gophers, the other being Big Ten rival, Penn State. Advertisement 247Sports has Petersohn (ATH) — who stands at 6'5″, 195 lbs and played QB/FS at Triton — ranked as the 4th best high school football player in the state. Other recruiting sites like him even more, which is why he is a composite 4-star recruit. One intriguing thing to watch with Pierce — Penn State wants him as a tight end, while Minnesota — who already has one tight end commit and could be on the verge of two — is recruiting him as a linebacker. Petersohn also held offers from Duke, Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas State, before recently narrowing his list down to two. Last week alone, Minnesota reeled eight more commits into PJ's 2026 recruiting boat, a grab that included the second (247Sports) four-star of the Golden Gophers' 2026 class — Forest Lake defensive lineman, Howie Johnson. Advertisement Most take their visit during the two-week 'Summer Splash' event, which is used mostly to convince out of state recruits that Minnesota is not a frozen wasteland year-round. Yet, the best players in modern Minnesota Gophers history were born and raised in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Let's hope both of these kids decide to follow their path to becoming a hometown legend. Related Headlines
