The Gophers have made the Badgers a true rivalry again under Fleck, as stability provides a niche in the new era

When PJ Fleck was hired as head coach of Minnesota Nearly nine years agothere was no message a Gophers fan received more frequently or poignantly than this: Just beat Wisconsin.

Battle for Paul Bunyan’s axe It was so lopsided at the time that making the Gophers competitive against the rival Badgers in the longest series in major college football was an obvious priority. Minnesota under Fleck has managed to win four of the last seven meetings Stopping a 14-game skid This was the longest losing streak for either side in the rivalry’s 135-year history.

Mission accomplished? Eh, maybe not.

“They are never satisfied,” Fleck said. “That’s why our fan base is so passionate.”

The Gophers are 6-0 in bowl games with Fleck and will play in one again next month, after missing the postseason in his first year (2017) and the pandemic-shortened season (2020). But they have lost four or more games every year since 11-2 finish in 2019 They finished tenth in the final Associated Press polltheir highest end-of-season ranking since 1962.

Minnesota is also just 1-8 against Iowa, another bitter border state rival that fans desperately want to beat. That includes a 41-3 loss last month. The Gophers (6-5, 4-4), which host the Badgers (4-7, 2-6) on Saturday, were also defeated by top-ranked Ohio State and fifth-ranked Oregon.

The Gophers have established a solid foundation for annual on-field performance that is higher than it has been in decades. So what is a roof? Breaking into that upper echelon of the Big Ten has become more difficult in an 18-team conference after the dawn of the NIL and revenue sharing.

The answer depends on who is making the predictions.

“We’re still really a developmental program. There’s no difference between ninth year and third year, the way college football has changed. Cultural sustainability allows you to have an opportunity. You have to keep stacking opportunities on top of each other;" “It’s a big game,” said Fleck, who is now the second-longest-tenured coach in the Big Ten behind Iowa State’s Kirk Ferentz, who in his 27th year has been with the Hawkeyes far longer than any other coach currently running an FBS program.

This 2025 season was marked by Huge acquisitions Due early firing for coaches at schools across the country unhappy with their results in the era of the college football playoffs.

Never before "Cultural sustainability" The value Fleck preached — with Ferentz and the Hawkeyes setting the gold standard — seemed more like value worth leaning on for a program that will forever look to Ohio State and the other blue-blood conference from a resources standpoint.

The “row the boat” mantra of perseverance, sacrifice and purpose has been well documented and trademarked. These days Fleck talks more frequently about A.J "Transformational" The philosophy around which the program is built, putting service to others at the forefront.

During the week of what is often the most important game of the season for the Gophers, the entire team comes together to distribute Thanksgiving meals to families in need two nights before the holiday. This year, several players attended the annual Fall Festival at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis as a show of support two weeks after the shooting that left two students dead and many injured.

“We will have certain memories from the matches that captivate us, but you will remember all the lessons you learned that you will apply in your life,” Flick said. "Some of them could be from a match, but more likely they are from many moments outside the football field.

Meanwhile, the Badgers have lost 20 games without winning the ball in three seasons under Luke Fickell. whose seat was hot enough last month That’s when sporting director Chris McIntosh issued a statement Confirmation of Fickell’s return next year With a pledge that the university will work to deepen its financial commitment to sports. Attendance at Camp Randall Stadium is down.

After bottoming out with five straight losses to end last season and snapping a 22-game losing streak in the power conference, the Badgers have had such a brutal schedule this season that any progress made has been almost invisible on game days. They have faced six of the current top seven teams in the Big Ten, including Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon — first, second and fourth in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

The defense’s performance has given Fickell and his staff a building block for next year, as they continue to reshape their roadmap to success in the sport’s new landscape as one of the mid-major programs in a major league that includes resource- and tradition-rich powers Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State and USC.

A win over Minnesota on Saturday to get the ax back and snap a three-game winning streak would give the Badgers a much better feeling to ride into the offseason than the bad feelings that surrounded them last month.

“Some of the growth and things we’re doing, we feel like we’re in a really good place,” Fickell said. “But we have to keep growing.”

Although Minnesota has sought plenty of transfers for key positions in recent seasons, Fleck has maintained a firm belief that the Gophers need to focus developmentally and coach freshmen all the way through the traditional process, even if it risks the departure of quality players for more lucrative opportunities at other FBS schools.

There will always likely be a need Development aspect From the Wisconsin program as well, but Fickell recently acknowledged the need to rely on the portal to compete in the Big Ten to even clinch an occasional spot in the College Football Playoff.

“It’s really hard to play at a young age in this league. The maturity, speed and size are different,” Fickell said. “Your ability will continue to grow over two or three years, and it’s been a lot more difficult, I think, in college football the last few years.”