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Gophers to face New Mexico in Rate Bowl
The University of Minnesota football team will face New Mexico in the Rate Bowl on Friday, Dec. 26 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Gophers beat Wisconsin to finish the regular season 7-5, and have won eight straight bowl games. They are 6-0 in bowl games under P.J. Fleck.
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.
Christmas in Arizona might have a nice ring to it for P.J. Fleck.
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.
"The Gophers are really excited to get back to the desert, that’s for sure. As I look outside, we’ve got about eight inches of snow on the ground. We can’t wait to get out to the sand and cacti," Fleck said in a Zoom call with media on Sunday.
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. It's the Gophers' third bowl game in the last four seasons.
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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.
Fleck said the Rate Bowl will give his program about 11 practices they otherwise wouldn't normally get. They've already had two, and it's a celebration for the seniors who stuck around and will be playing their final game at Minnesota. He also said there are ongoing negotiations with current players about the 2026 season and if they will return. In the new era of NIL and unlimited transferring, there are no guarantees a player will stay multiple years.
For the most part, Fleck has been able to retain his top talent. Redshirt freshman receiver Jalen Smith is among a few players who have already announced they'll be back in 2026, but they're doing so through their agents.
"It’s unique, there’s a lot of negotiations going on that’s for sure. But our players have been great," Fleck said.
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.