Haters of 11 a.m. starts for Golden Gophers home football games received good news today when the Big Ten Conference and its TV partners announced start times for six of the University of Minnesota’s 12 games in 2025.
Dreaded by students and others who like to sleep late on Saturdays, the anti-11 a.m. crowd will have to accept the nonconference Northwestern State home game on September 6 (BTN televising). Otherwise, night owls and party animals can revel in five night games for the Gophers, with three at home and two on the road. The start times for the six remaining Gophers games on the schedule will be announced later.
Minnesota opens the season at home Thursday, August 28 against Buffalo. The 7 p.m. kickoff nonconference game will be televised by FS1.
The final nonconference game will be on Saturday, September 13 at the University of California. Start time is 9:30 p.m. in Minneapolis and local fans can watch on ESPN.
Minnesota’s Homecoming game against Purdue on Saturday, October 11 will start at either 6 or 6:30 p.m. The TV partner will be announced later.
The Gophers host Nebraska at 7 p.m. on October 17, a rare Friday night home game. They play at Oregon on another Friday night, November 14, with an 8 p.m. kickoff. Both games will be televised by Fox.
Minnesota’s other six games are Rutgers, September 27 at home; October 4 at Ohio State; October 25 at Iowa; November 1 Michigan State at home; November 22 at Northwestern; November 29 Wisconsin at home. All dates are Saturdays.
Home games at night generally draw better than day games, unless arctic temps prevail. That will be a needed boost for home attendance because the Huntington Bank Stadium schedule of opponents is so-so.
Buffalo and Northwestern State are box office duds. Purdue will draw because it’s Homecoming and a night game. Nebraska, with Husker fans likely descending in droves, could produce the largest crowd of the season (possible sellout of 50,805) at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Michigan State and Wisconsin games will draw if the Gophers are producing a top 25 season. Even if they aren’t, the Wisconsin game may lure a lot of Badgers fans if their favorites have reverted back to winning football.
There’s real sizzle with the road schedule for fans who want to travel. All five destinations are attractive including West Coast trips to the Bay Area (Cal) and Eugene (first time at Oregon), plus border rival Iowa, Northwestern (at Wrigley Field) and defending national champion Ohio State.
Worth Noting
The NFL announced its preseason schedule today including for the Vikings. Minnesota will host the Texans at 3 p.m. Saturday, August 9 and the Patriots at noon on Saturday, August 16. The Vikings will play at the Titans on Friday, August 22 at 7 p.m.
The Vikings are partnering with the Minnesota Star Tribune to promote high school girls flag football throughout the state. The state’s first high school girls flag football league, supported through a $600,000 contribution from the Vikings, enters playoff competition next week.
The Timberwolves lost in five games to the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The prediction here before the series was Minnesota would lose in six, but OKC is even better than many of us thought.
During the last two springs the Wolves have proven they’re one of the better teams in the NBA but not elite enough to make the Finals or rank among the best. Biggest needs? Better defense from more players and clutch scoring (which in playoff games can include producing points in the first quarter).
It appeared during the playoffs that Anthony Edwards was gassed late in at least some games. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising if a revised nutrition and conditioning program materializes in the offseason.
Minneapolis native Chet Holmgren, 23, has emerged as a star for the Thunder. He could become a superstar with his scoring, rebounding and shot blocking, if his rail thin body avoids injuries. Holmgren is listed at 7-1, 208 pounds.
It was a nice run (Timberwolves), as Denny Green used to say.