Gophers to play New Mexico in Rate Bowl on Dec. 26

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Fresh off a 7-5 regular season that ended with a 17-7 win over rival Wisconsin to retain Paul Bunyan's Axe, the University of Minnesota football team learned its bowl destination on Sunday.

Gophers headed to Rate Bowl

What we know:

The Gophers (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) will face New Mexico in the Rate Bowl on Friday, Dec. 26 at 3:30 p.m. at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Cardinals. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. It'll mark the first time the Gophers are playing the Lobos. The Gophers play in the Rate Bowl for the fifth time, looking for a second-straight win in the game after an 18-6 victory over West Virginia in 2021.

Minnesota has a strong history in bowl games, having won eight straight since the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl. That streak is the longest active in the nation, and in Big Ten history.

Gophers fans storm field after win over Badgers

The Minnesota Gophers once again took down the Wisconsin Badgers in the season finale on Saturday to win Paul Bunyan's Axe for the fourth time over the last five years.

P.J. Fleck's bowl game impact 

By the numbers:

The Gophers are 6-0 in bowl games under Fleck. Last year, they beat Virginia Tech 24-10 and after the game, Fleck got a mayonnaise bath via the game's sponsor, Duke's Mayo. Fleck's six bowl wins are the most by any coach in the school's history, accounting for 46% of Minnesota's total 13 bowl wins.

Since 2017, the Gophers have gone 26-4 against non-conference opponents, including bowl games. This 86.7% winning percentage ranks sixth in the FBS during this period.

2025 season at a glance

Why you should care:

The Gophers were 7-0 at Huntington Bank Stadium this season. But away from Minneapolis, they were 0-5 and had blowout losses to Iowa, Ohio State and Oregon.

The Gophers won five or more conference games for the fourth time in five seasons and the fifth time overall under Fleck. In nine seasons at Minnesota, Fleck is 65-44 overall, and 39-40 in Big Ten play.