David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Hard to Believe Koi Perich Won’t Move on from Gophers

Posted on January 2, 2026January 2, 2026 by David Shama

Koi Perich, the home state hero, has his name in the college football transfer portal. He reportedly hasn’t decided whether he will transfer or return to the Gophers for his junior season next fall.

If the Esko, Minnesota native didn’t intend to move on, why place his name in the portal window which opened today and runs through January 16? Perich, who was a Sporting News second-team All-American as a freshman safety in 2024, already knows how much money he can earn playing for the Gophers. He’s also familiar with the coaches, teammates, program environment and 2026 expectations.

By declaring the Gophers are still in the picture, Perich does give himself leverage when he and his representatives consider offers from other programs. The posture also takes some public “heat” off him in his home state.

“This is definitely not about the money,” an authoritative sports source told Sports Headliners today about Perich’s motivations.

Make no mistake. The University of Minnesota football program wants to retain Perich. For the coming season the Gophers might be willing to pay him low seven-figures in combined revenue share and Name, Image and Likeness money for his expected final season of college football before he declares for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Gophers football star Koi Perich — Koi Perich photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

That’s really stretching the budget because college safeties usually have a compensation ceiling under $1 million (see August 24 Max Olson ESPN.com story on money value per positions in college football). The Gophers, though, could be willing to go higher based on Perich’s resume of being among the more talented and experienced safeties in college football, plus his value as a kick and punt returner, and part-time availability as a receiver and runner on offense.

The Miamis, Ohio States and Oregons have the resources to outbid the Gophers on Perich but his decision whether to move on is probably first about playing for a program that can realistically compete for conference and national championships. The last two seasons the Gophers have produced 8-5 overall and 5-4 conference records.

A talented and motivated Perich wants to win every game. That’s not realistic at Minnesota where last month the team had to go into overtime to defeat non-power four conference New Mexico in the Rate Bowl. In 2025 Minnesota was embarrassed in conference losses to Ohio State and Oregon by a combined score of 84-16.

Perich almost chose Ohio State coming out of high school where he was a four-star recruit and one of the nation’s best safety prospects. A last-minute decision sent him to coach P.J. Fleck’s program which just completed its ninth season under his leadership.

In Columbus the Buckeyes are presumably losing All-American safety Caleb Downs who is eligible for the NFL Draft after playing three seasons for Ohio State. Perich could step in and start, while being surrounded by a much more talented group of teammates.

Oregon star safety Dillon Thieneman is also a junior and eligible for the draft. Downs, Thieneman and Perich are all free safeties.

And at Miami, Perich could join his former Gopher defensive coordinator Cory Hetherman who has the same role for the Hurricanes. Miami and Oregon are still alive in the college football playoffs while Ohio State, the 2025 defending national champions, was eliminated New Year’s Eve in a semi-final loss to the Hurricanes. Those three programs offer the opportunity to play on college football’s biggest stages.

Home state college heart strings and the opportunity to play in front of family don’t figure to keep Perich in a Gopher uniform. Growing up in the small town of Esko outside of Duluth, it was the Vikings who stirred his deep passion, not the Gophers. And with the money Perich can now command in college football, he can afford to pay for his family to see him play anywhere in the country.

When Perich was a freshman, he did a memorable late October interview with Paul Allen on KFAN Radio. He talked about how the Gophers, despite their 5-3 record, were a top 10 caliber team. Call it naïve for him to say what he did, or just a young man talking about aspirations for his team, to this listener his comments were telling about his desires.

Neither the eye test nor the Pro Football Focus analysis verify that Perich was as effective last season as his first. His interception total, for example, was down from five to one, while offenses strategized to avoid his area on the field. PFF graded him 88.9 for his overall performance as a safety in 2024, one of the best numbers in the country for his position. This year his grade was 62.4.

It’s emotionally difficult for Gopher fans to think about the 2026 season without their home state hero. However, even if Perich returned for the coming year, it was definitely going to be his last in college football. From the start it’s believed his plan was to play three years and then move on to the NFL.

There is also solace in knowing the safety position isn’t as important as several others on the team. That list starts with quarterback and includes offensive and defensive linemen. Pushed for an answer, college football authorities would generally prefer a superb cornerback to a gifted safety.

If this is goodbye with Perich, be grateful it’s not redshirt sophomore quarterback Drake Lindsey departing. Or junior running back Darius Taylor who announced today he will return rather than opt for the 2026 NFL Draft.

While in no way diminishing the contribution of Perich, the source referenced above said losing Perich will not be “catastrophic” for the program.

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Timberwolves & Lynx CEO Says Arena in Minneapolis the Goal

Posted on December 30, 2025December 30, 2025 by David Shama

New majority Timberwolves and Lynx owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez announced the hiring of CEO Matthew Caldwell late last summer. The former front office executive of the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Panthers, Caldwell is tasked with figuring out where the two Minnesota pro basketball teams will play in the future.

Caldwell has a newsworthy 10-year deal from his bosses to lead the Wolves and Lynx. It might take that long to see the doors open on a new home for the teams who play now at the NBA’s second oldest arena.

Target Center opened in 1990 and was privately financed by Wolves owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner. The building is now owned by the city of Minneapolis whose citizens recently re-elected Jacob Frey as mayor.

Insiders seem certain Frey’s election kept in play the possibility a new arena can be built within the city limits. Before the election, Frey commented about his support for such a facility if it was privately financed. He values the millions of people Target Center attracts, generating tax and business revenues helping fuel the downtown economy. But he also knows the aging facility still has debt from renovation about eight years ago.

Frey’s primary mayoral foe, Democrat Socialist Omar Fateh, “nixed both direct cash and indirect tax relief types of financial aid” for a new building, according to a Minneapolis Times article by Marshall Tanick in October. Few arena authorities believe a Fateh mayorship, with his emphasis on progressive policies regarding wages, rent, the homeless, transit and the environment, would have been interested in using city dollars even for infrastructure adjacent to a new building.

Asked by Sports Headliners if for certain the Wolves and Lynx want to remain in the city, Caldwell said: “That’s the goal. We’re in a (Target Center) lease right now for 10 more years in Minneapolis. I look forward to working with the mayor and the council and hopefully we can find a good location for everyone.”

Multiple sites for a new arena have drawn speculation including City Center, the Farmers Market near downtown, the Star Tribune printing property in the North Loop and the former Graco site in Northeast Minneapolis. The latter is a potential 40-acre site that could be attractive but there are concerns about traffic flow. It’s not impossible the Target Center site could be under consideration for either a new building or a renovation.

At this early stage of the process, Caldwell said there are many options when asked about the Target Center site. “I am not sure yet. We’re still looking through…different locations but everything is on the table. I just started a few months ago, so I am trying to get to know everyone. We want to take our time and make sure we pick the right site. But at the same time we want to do what’s best for the community and we gotta get a lot of feedback.”

Timberwolves & Lynx CEO Matt Caldwell — Matt Caldwell photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves

Is there a commitment from ownership to financing a new arena privately? “Not yet,” Caldwell answered. “No…like I mentioned earlier all options are on the table. So, we just gotta see. Marc and Alex are fully dedicated to building a new arena, and they’ve committed we’re staying in Minnesota. And we’re just trying to find the right site and see what the best deal is for everyone.”

Ownership’s stance is a new facility is needed to better serve the public and make the two franchises more business viable with the amenities and features already present in new NBA arenas such as the Chase Center in San Francisco and the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Both were privately financed and the latter reportedly cost about $2 billion.

There has been speculation sites outside of Minneapolis could figure into the puzzle of a new building and location. One intriguing location whispered about is near the Mall of America in Bloomington. That area fits in with the goal of NBA team owners to have surrounding land that can offer additional revenue streams from sources such as lodging, retail and perhaps gambling.

A Bloomington location, seen as a more politically neutral site between Minneapolis and St. Paul, might attract tax dollars not only from that city but also the state which is being pitched for major renovations to Grand Casino Arena, the home of the NHL Wild since 2000. A new arena hosting the basketball teams and the Wild could have considerable public support and political backing from politicians representing areas other than the Twin Cities.

Timeline? Caldwell said the goal is to both work through the arena process “as fast as possible” but also don’t “rush it.” There’s a lot of money at stake for various entities with the project and all kinds of details from site and architectural selection, to financing to infrastructure, from permitting to environmental concerns, and the list goes on. That’s why Caldwell said that even after the first ceremonial groundbreaking occurs, it will probably be three years before the doors open to the public.

Caldwell’s contract with his owners gives him security and confidence to work through the monumental project. So, too, does his personal background with experiences at West Point as a cadet, serving in the Army, working for Goldman Sachs and his successful tenure with the Panthers.

Asked about who he is and his leadership development, Caldwell started talking first about being at West Point: “They kind of break you down and build you back up. …Get rid of as much ego that you have, and then a lot of it is about leading by example. A lot of it is about never tell your people or your soldiers to do something that you couldn’t do, right? …You have high standards, but you care about your people, and people respond to that.

“And that’s always stayed with me, whether I was in finance or sports. Since I left the Army, I’ve always tried to keep that sense of camaraderie. That sense of leading from the front at the end of the day. So, it’s really important and it’s a foundation of how I operate.”

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Shadow of 2019 Success Hangs Over Gopher Football

Posted on December 28, 2025 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota football program has produced similar results in recent seasons and hasn’t duplicated the excellence of 2019 when the Golden Gophers went 11-2, including a prestigious Outback Bowl win over SEC power Auburn.

After the Outback victory, the Gophers finished No. 10 in the Associated Press top 25 poll. In head coach P.J. Fleck’s third season at Minnesota his team emerged as a Big Ten title contender, going 7-2 in league games including a for the ages home upset of then No. 5 ranked Penn State.

That team’s roster had major contributors recruited by Fleck such as wide receiver Rashod Bateman, quarterback Tanner Morgan and tailback Mo Ibrahim. Significant playmakers on that team included many individuals recruited by the previous coaching staff regimes such as safety Antoine Winfield Jr., defensive end Carter Coughlin, linebackers Thomas Barber and Kamal Martin, and wide receiver Tyler Johnson.

The Gophers haven’t finished a season (including bowl games) with a top 25 ranking since the magic of 2019. Disregarding the COVID shortened 2020 campaign, the program has usually produced similar win and loss totals.

In both 2024 and 2025 the Gophers were 8-5 overall, 5-4 in the Big Ten. The 2021 and 2022 teams were both 9-4, with the former finishing 6-3 in conference games and the latter 5-4. The outlier season was 2023 when Minnesota was 6-7 and 3-6.

The last five seasons Minnesota has qualified for and won its bowl games including the 20-17 victory Friday over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl. Fleck is undefeated in bowl games with the Gophers, winning seven consecutive outings. Minnesota’s total win streak of nine is the best in the nation and in Big Ten history.

Doesn’t it seem like there’s a Groundhog Day movie feel here?

Gopher football coach P.J. Fleck — P.J. Fleck

Fleck, his staff and players are doing all kinds of things right and doing them consistently. They rally to win in come from behind games including against four foes in 2025, showing they can make coaching adjustments and perform in the clutch. They often beat the teams they’re expected to handle, including non-conference softies and league opponents. They have stoked home state pride by defeating Wisconsin in four of the last five years and getting Paul Bunyan’s Axe comfortable with a Dinkytown residence. And in the transfer madness of the 2020s, Fleck and his staff have been very successful in retention of players.

Off the field, players consistently attend class and produce GPA’s that make mom and dad happy. Fleck insists on more than academics off the field, though. His serving and giving community commitment has staff and players engaged in efforts and appearances to help those in need in the community. And unlike the distant past, scandal caused by miscreant behavior hasn’t embarrassed the University.

Less appealing in the sameness mode is how the Gophers fare on the field against the “big boys” of the Big Ten. In 2025 Minnesota was outscored by 84-16 in games against conference titans Oregon and Ohio State. Fleck is also 0-4 in the Little Brown Jug rivalry with Michigan and two years ago in Minneapolis lost 52-10.

Iowa sometimes flirts with Big Ten “big boy” status and pretty much owns the Gophers. Fleck is 1-8 against the Hawkeyes and this year his team was pounded 41-3 in Iowa City. The last two seasons Minnesota has been outscored 72-17 in the Floyd of Rosedale series.

Both Iowa and Minnesota are self-described developmental programs, meaning four and five high school recruits don’t flock to Iowa City and Minneapolis. Iowa is clearly better at the developmental stuff than the Gophers. Iowa’s defenses and special teams are usually among the elite in the nation. The best players on those units regularly include players from the state of Iowa, sometimes coming from small town high schools.

Annual season results for Gopher fans typically include frustration with a more than winnable game or two that turns into a L. In 2024 the Gophers blew a prime opportunity to open the season with public favor, losing a big nonconference game at home to North Carolina, 19-17 (two missed field goals). In 2023 and 2025 they had aggravating 37-34 and 38-35 road losses to a Northwestern program that specializes in mediocrity. After this fall’s loss fans were writing about a “pitiful defensive performance” and questioning the coaching.

Even home attendance patterns are similar in this era of Gopher football. Average home attendance for the last five seasons is in the 45,000 to 48,500 range at 50,805 seats capacity Huntington Bank Stadium. Public season ticket sales for the last three years have been in the 23,000 to 25,400 range.

More numbers? The Gopher football program’s salary pool to pay assistant coaches is consistently among the lowest in the Big Ten. And money to pay players for Name, Image and Likeness at Minnesota is believed to be average at best among Big Ten peers and perhaps lagging behind a lot of programs.

For the most passionate Gopher football fans who burn to win, it’s impossible not to envy the stunning success of Indiana football the last two seasons. Historically, the Big Ten’s worst football program has transformed itself to one of the nation’s best. In 2025 the Hoosiers are 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation. And this comes off an 11-2 season a year ago.

The Hoosiers needed a miracle man to transform their deplorable program, and they got one in head coach Curt Cignetti. A master program organizer, talent evaluator, game and practice coach, and motivator, Cignetti, 64, received a major college coaching opportunity late in life. He had won at previous lower tier spots (Google him) and has shocked the sports world with his success at IU.

No doubt the Hoosiers have more money to pay players than in the past but the resounding success in Bloomington is about much more than that. It’s about coaching genius led by a man who is so good at everything he does, it’s impossible to believe he couldn’t win championships at most any school: From the Azusa Pacific Cougars to the Hamline Pipers to the Youngstown State Penguins.

There are renaissances going on at other programs, too. Included are places like Minnesota, where hometown college football teams fight the burden of a neighborhood NFL team that constantly grabs attention and resources. In Nashville, long time loser Vanderbilt has emerged as a national success story with the help of a prominent assistant coach named Jerry Kill. He brought his fiery New Mexico State quarterback, Diego Pavia, with him to help lead head coach’s Clark Lea’s Commodores.

In the last two seasons, Arizona State and its young head coach Kenny Dillingham, have become a better story than the local NFL Cardinals, winning the Big 12 title a year ago and making plans to develop a national footprint of success. Dillingham is a Sun Devil alum, just like Brent Key is an alum at Georgia Tech. He has revived the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta with winning seasons, including 9-4 in 2025.

Fleck and the Gophers, of course, want the success of the best teams, too. He encouraged his players to be “delusional” in their thinking before the 2025 season, encouraging them to have College Football playoff ambitions.

That’s the right kind of mindset for his program. To achieve that, the Gophers will need a more talented roster and one that includes many of the more gifted players having extensive playing experience. That’s what happened in 2019.

In attempting a 2019-like comeback, don’t expect the Gophers to break any rules in recruiting or other areas. At Minnesota (true for a long time), the mantra is “dot every ‘I,’ cross every ‘T.’ “

There we go again, talking about things that have been in place for years in Dinkytown.

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