Minnesota will host Lindenwood in 2027


On Friday, the Lindenwood football program announced an agreement with the University of Minnesota football team on a future matchup on the gridiron.

The Lions will head to Minneapolis, Minn. on September 18, 2027, for a matchup with the Golden Gophers. Last season, Minnesota compiled a record of 6-7 under eighth year head coach P.J. Fleck in 2023 while earning a victory in the Quick Lane Bowl.

The Lions will open the 2024 season on August 29th against the University of Kansas. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. from Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.

Future Games
2025 at Miami University (Ohio) – Week 5
2026 at Eastern Michigan University – Week 3
2027 at University of Minnesota – Week 3
2028 at Kansas University – Week 1


Go Gophers!!
 





got curious.

Lindenwood University - the Lions - located in St. Charles, MO. enrollment of 4,936 undergrads and 2.336 graduate students. offers 21 NCAA Division 1 sports.

was an NAIA school from 1999-2011. became an NCAA Division II program in 2012. in 2022 joined the Ohio Valley Conference as an NCAA Division 1 FCS program.

the football program did very well at the NAIA level in the mid-2000's, losing the NAIA National Championship game to U of Sioux Falls in 2009, ending a 13-1 season. after moving to DII, had 6 consecutive losing seasons from 2013-2018.
Posted winning seasons in 2019 & 2021. At the FCS level went 7-3 in 2022 and 3-7 in 2023.

they will open the 2024 season against Kansas and will host.......St. Thomas in a non-conf game in September.
 


Sure, but Lindenwood? They were 3-7 in FCS last season. At least go for a Northern Iowa or comparable team.
The game is in 2028. How they did in 2023 is irrelevant. They just moved up to D1. Who knows how good or bad they'll be in 4 years.

What's the advantage of playing a Northern Iowa type instead?
 

The game is in 2028. How they did in 2023 is irrelevant. They just moved up to D1. Who knows how good or bad they'll be in 4 years.

What's the advantage of playing a Northern Iowa type instead?
Right?? When Colorado was scheduled they were a decent P5 program, just happened to be sh!t when we played them. Similar to Oregon St a few years back.

When we scheduled TCU, did people expect them to be #2 in the country?

You don't know what the future is going to hold. I also have zero desire to play the Dakotas unlike a lot of this board.
 



Right?? When Colorado was scheduled they were a decent P5 program, just happened to be sh!t when we played them. Similar to Oregon St a few years back.

When we scheduled TCU, did people expect them to be #2 in the country?

You don't know what the future is going to hold. I also have zero desire to play the Dakotas unlike a lot of this board.
Colorado was in the Pac 12 championship the year the Gophers scheduled the series against them.
 
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Colorado was in the Pac 12 championship the year the Gophers scheduled the series against them.
Their only winning conference season in the last 18 years. The previous 10 years before the 2016 announcement of the Colorado game, Colorado went 17-68 in conference play. When Colorado sucked in 2021-22, it was utterly predictable.
 

got curious.

Lindenwood University - the Lions - located in St. Charles, MO. enrollment of 4,936 undergrads and 2.336 graduate students. offers 21 NCAA Division 1 sports.

was an NAIA school from 1999-2011. became an NCAA Division II program in 2012. in 2022 joined the Ohio Valley Conference as an NCAA Division 1 FCS program.

the football program did very well at the NAIA level in the mid-2000's, losing the NAIA National Championship game to U of Sioux Falls in 2009, ending a 13-1 season. after moving to DII, had 6 consecutive losing seasons from 2013-2018.
Posted winning seasons in 2019 & 2021. At the FCS level went 7-3 in 2022 and 3-7 in 2023.

they will open the 2024 season against Kansas and will host.......St. Thomas in a non-conf game in September.
You should get some kind of trophy for the posts like this. This one, and the one where you broke down the number of different times we wore such and such color helmets, pants, etc.

Lots of work, I would think. Thanks.
 

Sure, but Lindenwood? They were 3-7 in FCS last season. At least go for a Northern Iowa or comparable team.
Especially with the offense we play. If we were passing the ball all over the field at least there would be some "exciting" plays as wide-open WRs are catching passes left and right. But to have to sit through 3 hours of us choking the life out of the game and running down the clock on every play....
 



I thought this meant it was gonna be the lindenwood mega camp, not the FB team itself
 

What's the advantage of playing a Northern Iowa type instead?
I don't want to speak for the poster you are replying to, but I think the idea is to play competition that might challenge us a little more, give us a better idea of what we need to work on, etc. vs. just beating an over-matched team into submission without any real effort.
 


Their only winning conference season in the last 18 years. The previous 10 years before the 2016 announcement of the Colorado game, Colorado went 17-68 in conference play. When Colorado sucked in 2021-22, it was utterly predictable.
Eh, programs can change things around. Maybe not be in the conference championship every year but can develop to be solid or respectable. They had a really good recruiting class after that 2016 season too.
 


I don't want to speak for the poster you are replying to, but I think the idea is to play competition that might challenge us a little more, give us a better idea of what we need to work on, etc. vs. just beating an over-matched team into submission without any real effort.
Again, though, it's 4+ years away. If you're going to play a tougher game, then just schedule a FBS team instead.

N Iowa went 6-5 this past season by the way.
 

I commend any GHer that even knew Lindenwood existed. Kudos to whoever...
 

The game is in 2028. How they did in 2023 is irrelevant. They just moved up to D1. Who knows how good or bad they'll be in 4 years.

What's the advantage of playing a Northern Iowa type instead?

well, there is a school of thought that if the Gophers played a Northern Iowa, or one of the Dakota teams, that they might attract a few more fans of that school who might be interested in attending a game in MN.

Lindenwood is over 500 miles away. How many fans want to make that trip to see their team (presumably) get hammered by a P4 program?
 

The game is in 2028. How they did in 2023 is irrelevant. They just moved up to D1. Who knows how good or bad they'll be in 4 years.

What's the advantage of playing a Northern Iowa type instead?
Increased ticket sales and money spent on campus during game day. Guessing more Northern Iowa fans live in the Twin Cities than Linwood folks.
 

Increased ticket sales and money spent on campus during game day. Guessing more Northern Iowa fans live in the Twin Cities than Linwood folks.

I doubt the increased ticket sales are enough to overcome what is likely a large amount of less guaranteed money the Gophers had to pay Lindenwood to come here.

UNI is likely in the $800k-$1m range to come here (out of pocket Gopher money sent to them).

Total guess, but Lindenwood is likely getting less than half that. Kansas is paying Lindenwood $360k to play in Lawrence this fall.

Doubtful there are enough Panther fans buying tickets to make up for that gap.

I don't care to watch Minnesota play either UNI or Lindenwood, but the reality is every year the Gophers will schedule some team like this. So, if it saves them a bunch of money to schedule Lindenwood, then I'm good with that. Hopefully, they put the savings to good use.
 

I doubt the increased ticket sales are enough to overcome what is likely a large amount of less guaranteed money the Gophers had to pay Lindenwood to come here.

UNI is likely in the $800k-$1m range to come here (out of pocket Gopher money sent to them).

Total guess, but Lindenwood is likely getting less than half that. Kansas is paying Lindenwood $360k to play in Lawrence this fall.

Doubtful there are enough Panther fans buying tickets to make up for that gap.

I don't care to watch Minnesota play either UNI or Lindenwood, but the reality is every year the Gophers will schedule some team like this. So, if it saves them a bunch of money to schedule Lindenwood, then I'm good with that. Hopefully, they put the savings to good use.
This. Plus I imagine the coaches want at least one game where they are expected to win fairly easily. It allows them to plays some younger guys.

I'm in the boat there is no reason to schedule a FCS powerhouse like NDSU. It's almost certainly going to be a tough game. If you're looking for a tough game, schedule a FBS team instead.
 



Sure, but Lindenwood? They were 3-7 in FCS last season. At least go for a Northern Iowa or comparable team.
Why would we pay an Iowa school? Who knows how good they'll be in three years, but the $$ the U pays them will be huge for their athletics.
 

Btw, before i hear complaints lol...Gophers already travel to Mississippi State that year. Host San Jose State as well.

Ugh, I forgot about Mississippi St. Will be watching that game on mute.
 


I have no problem playing 1 non com game every year against an easy opponent. But, like others have said, you have no idea how could they will be in 3 or 4 years.
 




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