Non-Conference: Soft Start, Then Heat
Medved and the Gophers open with a handful of games that should allow this roster to gel. After tipping off against in exhibition games vs North Dakota State and North Dakota, the non-conference season officially begins with Gardner-Webb, Alcorn State, and Green Bay at home—all games Minnesota should win.
Then the schedule tightens.
A November 12 road game at Missouri is a big early measuring stick. The Tigers have size and athleticism, and this will be the first real look at how Minnesota’s backcourt holds up under pressure. Later that month, the Gophers travel to California for the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Desert, where they’ll face Stanford, followed by either Santa Clara or Saint Louis.
December is rounded out by a couple of tune-ups—Campbell and Fairleigh Dickinson—before Big Ten play starts in earnest.
Big Ten: New Faces, Familiar Foes
With the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington last year, this year’s Big Ten slate again feels different—and a little more intense.
Minnesota plays Indiana, Northwestern, and Wisconsin both home and away. Those three series are always physical, and we all know there’s no such thing as a quiet trip to Madison or Bloomington.
At The Barn, fans will get to see marquee matchups against Michigan State, UCLA, and USC, plus Maryland, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Iowa. Road trips to Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Oregon, and Washington round out a grueling travel schedule.
One notable stretch to circle: in late January, the Gophers have back-to-back road games at Purdue and Michigan, then come home to face Michigan State and UCLA. That’s a four-game stretch that could define the season.
Early Takeaways
If you’re looking for a schedule built for a reset year under a new coach, this fits. It’s not overloaded early, but it includes enough non-conference meat (Mizzou, Stanford, maybe SLU) to get a sense of what kind of team we’ve got.
More importantly, the home Big Ten slate is packed with draw. The Gophers will have at least four games at the Barn—Michigan State, Iowa, UCLA, and USC—that should bring real energy to campus. If Medved’s group can overachieve early, there’s a chance to build some buzz by the time January rolls around.
We’ll see what kind of identity this team builds, but one thing’s for sure: this schedule offers opportunity. Now it’s on the Gophers to take advantage of it.