Dec 29, 2022; Bronx, NY, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers players hold the championship trophy in front of the main scoreboard after the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl against the Syracuse Orange at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

What are the Gophers' preseason bowl game projections?

Originally posted on Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI
By Tony Liebert | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 10:28 AM ET

A bowl game appearence in 2025-26 would match a program record for Minnesota. The only other times they reached the mark were from 2002 to 2006 and from 2012 to 2016. Preseason bowl game projections are rolling in from a plethora of major outlets, so let's take a look at the latest for the Gophers.

ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Rate Bowl vs. TCU

The Gophers have played in some variation of the Rate Bowl four times since 2006, and most recently, a Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory against West Virginia in 2021. A meeting with TCU would be their first since welcoming them to Minneapolis to kick off the 2015 regular season.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Music City Bowl vs. Oklahoma

Minnesota hasn't played in the Music City Bowl since 2005, when it had three appearances in the span of four years. A trip to Nashville against a blueblood program like Oklahoma is likely something every Gophers fan could get behind.

Billy Kingsley / The Tennessean, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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CBS Sports (Brad Crawford): Pinstripe Bowl vs. Virginia Tech

Crawford projects that Minnesota will have a rematch of last year's Duke Mayo Bowl against the Hokies. This is a scenario that many Gophers fans would likely scoff at, but it would still be a postseason game against a historic program like Virginia Tech.

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Overall outlook

On3's Brett McMurphy hasn't released an updated projection since July 1, and there are a few other major outlets that haven't published a new list since earlier this summer. There are a lot of different possibilities for Minnesota's 2025 campaign, but a bowl game appearence seems like the bare minimum.

The Gophers have played in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl (2021), Pinstripe Bowl (2022), Quick Lane Bowl (2023) and Duke's Mayo Bowl (2024) during their current streak. If they're able to break through into the next tier of games with Big Ten tie-ins, and get invited to the Music City Bowl, ReliaQuest Bowl or Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, it should be viewed as great season.

There are many different opinions on the importance of bowl games, but P.J. Fleck and the Gophers have used them towards their advantage. 2025 is a season where Minnesota will rely on a lot of underclassmen, so an extra game could play a big factor in building for the 2026 season.