Minnesota Gophers football vs. Eastern Illinois: How to watch
P.J. Fleck Show: Season expectations before week 1
This week on the P.J. Fleck show, the crew discuss opening week against Eastern Illinois and the expectations for the season ahead at the Minnesota State Fair.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team kicks off its 2026 regular season Thursday night against Eastern Illinois at Huntington Bank Stadium.
If you want to watch Thursday night’s opener, you’ll need a subscription to the Peacock streaming service.
Minnesota vs. Eastern Illinois – How to watch
What: Minnesota vs. Eastern Illinois
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium
TV: Peacock (NBC’s streaming service)
The Gophers enter Thursday night’s game 42.5-point favorites. They're 6-3 in season-openers under head coach P.J. Fleck.
Gophers FOX 9 coverage
FOX 9 will have a Gopher Pregame Show from 5 to 6 p.m. on FOX 9, FOX9.com and the FOX Local app leading up to the 7 p.m. kickoff. FOX 9’s Pierre Noujaim will be joined by KFAN sideline reporter Justin Gaard, and Gophers’ analyst Ron Johnson.
FOX 9's Ahmad Hicks, and former Gophers' quarterback Tanner Morgan will provide pregame analysis inside Huntington Bank Stadium.
Gophers Football 2026 outlook
Big picture view:
The Gophers enter Year 10 under P.J. Fleck at Minnesota. He’s 66-44 in nine seasons with the Gophers, including 39-40 in Big Ten play and 7-0 in bowl games. Minnesota went 8-5 last season, including a win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl.
Minnesota is picked to finish 10th in the 18-team Big Ten in preseason polls. The Gophers are the only team in the Big Ten to return their head coach (Fleck), their 2025 starting quarterback (Drake Lindsey) and both their offensive and defensive coordinators (Greg Harbaugh and Danny Collins).