Gophers will head to Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. West Virginia on Dec. 28

Andy Greder, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·2 min read

Dec. 5—The Gophers are headed to the Valley of the Sun.

Minnesota will play in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix on Tuesday, Dec. 28, the U confirmed on Sunday afternoon.

The Gophers (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) will play West Virginia (6-6, 4-5 Big 12) in a game set to kickoff at 9:15 p.m. CT and air on ESPN.

This is the first matchup between the two programs, but they had a common opponent in 2021. West Virginia lost 30-23 to Maryland in season opener on Sept. 4, while Minnesota beat the Terrapins 34-16 on Oct. 23.

"It's a tremendous honor to compete in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia," head coach P.J. Fleck said in a statement. "Our team is excited to head to Phoenix, which is one of the most beautiful places in the country, and we look forward to facing a very talented West Virginia team. They are extremely well-coached and this game will be a terrific challenge for us."

Minnesota is 2-0 in bowl games under Fleck.

The Gophers were not eligible for a bowl after finishing with a 5-7 record in 2017. In 2018, Minnesota beat Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl, and then topped Auburn in the Outback Bowl after the 2019 season. The Gophers could have gone to a bowl after a 3-4 record in the pandemic-altered 2020 season but opted out last December.

Fleck thanked leaders of the bowl. "We are thankful to Guaranteed Rate, Executive Director Mike Nealy, Chairman of the Board Patrick Barkley, the Fiesta Bowl Organization and all the Yellow Jackets for inviting us," Fleck continued in his statement.

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl was formerly the Insight Bowl, and Minnesota previously competed in it in 2006, '08, and '09.

Fleck will speak with media members on Sunday evening.