Seven Home Games Highlight 2026 Minnesota Gopher FB Schedule

College Football season just came to a close, but we're already anxiously awaiting more this Fall.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers continued their consistent performance in 2025, finishing with a mark of 8-5 and a fifth consecutive bowl appearance (and win).

PJ Fleck's Gopher squad will be at home a total of seven times in 2026, including some big conference games.

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Per GopherSports.com:

Minnesota will open the season at home on Thursday, September 3 against Eastern Illinois. This will be the 18th time that Minnesota will start the season at home on a Thursday night and the Gophers have opened on a Thursday for the last 13 full seasons (excluding the 2020 season) since 2012.   

The Gophers will then welcome Mississippi State to Huntington Bank Stadium for a game on September 12. The game against Mississippi State will be the first meeting between the teams and will be just the third time ever that Minnesota hosts a team in the SEC at the time of the game. Minnesota previously hosted Vanderbilt in 1959 (20-6 win) and Tulane in 1935 (20-0 win) when it was previously in the SEC. 

Minnesota concludes the nonconference schedule with a home game against Akron on September 19. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Gophers and the Zips. 

The Gophers open Big Ten play on September 26 at Washington. This will be Minnesota's ninth overall trip to Seattle, but the first since 1976. The Maroon and Gold previously played road games at Washington in 1936, 1941, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1956, 1958 and 1976. 

Minnesota will then battle Michigan for the Little Brown Jug at home on October 3, before traveling for a road game at Purdue on October 10. 

The Gophers will host Iowa on October 24. This will be the 120th meeting between the two schools and the winner will once again claim the coveted Floyd of Rosedale. 

Minnesota plays at defending national champion Indiana on October 31. This will mark the third straight season – and the first time in the AP poll era (1936-present) – that the Gophers will face the defending national champion on the road, as Minnesota played at Michigan in 2024 and at Ohio State in 2025. 

The Gophers first game in November will be at home against UCLA on November 7 and then Minnesota will play for the Governor's Victory Bell at Penn State on November 14. 

Minnesota will wrap up its home schedule with a senior day game against Northwestern on November 21. 

The Gophers conclude the regular season with a November 28 tilt at Wisconsin where the teams will play for Paul Bunyan's Axe. This will be the 136th meeting between the two schools, and the game between the Gophers and the Badgers is the most-played game in Big Ten history.

Minnesota's 2026 Football Schedule
September 3 – Eastern Illinois
September 12 – Mississippi State
September 19 – Akron
September 26 – at Washington
October 3 – Michigan
October 10 – at Purdue
October 17 – BYE
October 24 – Iowa 
October 31 – at Indiana
November 7 – UCLA 
November 14 – at Penn State
November 21 – Northwestern 
November 28 – at Wisconsin

Source: GopherSports.com