Minnesota returns to practice, on pace to play Nebraska

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are on pace to play for the first time since a 34-31 win over the Purdue Boilermakers on Nov. 20.

Minnesota returned to the practice field on Monday and is preparing to play at the Nebraska Cornhuskers this coming Saturday. The 2-3 Golden Gophers had their last two scheduled games canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak that included at least 23 student-athletes and 26 staff members testing positive for the virus.

As Adam Rittenberg reported for ESPN, Minnesota has recorded zero positive COVID-19 test results since last Thursday and only two positives across the last seven days. Thus, the Big Ten gave Minnesota the OK to attempt to play out the remainder of the season. 

Minnesota was supposed to face the Wisconsin Badgers on Nov. 28 and could instead play at Wisconsin on Dec. 18 or Dec. 19. 

"Wisconsin-Minnesota is one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football," Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said on Monday when speaking with reporters. "We would love to play that game, and I think Wisconsin would say the same thing. Who wouldn't want to play in that game? ... It would be great to continue that streak of one of the greatest rivalries in college football."

Per Rittenberg, Minnesota and Wisconsin have played against each other every season since 1906, making it the longest uninterrupted series in the Football Bowl Subdivision.