Gophers Open 2026 with Big Favorite Status | Minnesota Golden Gophers Football News

The Minnesota Gophers kick off their 2026 season Thursday night against Eastern Illinois, favored to win by over 40 points. With head coach P.J. Fleck’s strong opener record and a stable coaching staff returning for the first time since 2023, the Gophers are poised for a big year—even though they’re picked to finish tenth in the Big Ten. Tune in to FOX 9’s pregame show at 5 PM for all the breakdowns before kickoff at 7 PM on Peacock. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/0b00aec2229beb70