Why is it so easy for Minnesotans to turn on Gophers football?

It’s difficult to argue the media hasn’t given the Gophers a fair shake. Heck, P.J. Fleck is in his 10th season at Minnesota, and it’s not because he’s turned them into a perennial powerhouse. It’s because the expectations at Minnesota are lower.

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Take Florida State, for example. Mike Norvell is in the hot seat even though he led the Seminoles to a 13-1 record in 2023, which followed a 10-win season in 2022. If Fleck ever wins 13 games at Minnesota, there would be a statue of him in Dinkytown.

So, yeah, Durr might be right that local fans find it hard to buy into Gophers football, but the media certainly treats the program fairly. In fact, the media might go too easy on the program.

Spending Saturdays watching the Gophers get blown out at home by Mississippi State is frustrating. Even more for the fans who bought tickets to go to the game.

On top of that, the Gophers can rapidly become an afterthought in a crowded Minnesota sports market. The Twin Cities have teams in all four major men’s professional sports leagues: the Vikings, Twins, Wild, and Timberwolves. It’s also the home of the four-time WNBA champion Lynx and the Minnesota United in the MLS. That’s a lot of competition for attention, and it’s easy for the Gophers to get lost in the shuffle.

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College football programs in places like Iowa City, Lincoln, and Madison don’t face quite the same dynamic. The Hawkeyes, Cornhuskers, and Badgers are among the biggest sports attractions in their respective markets and states. Minneapolis is different. It’s a major metropolitan area with no shortage of alternatives when the Gophers aren’t winning at a higher level.

Huntington Bank Stadium is the third-smallest stadium in the Big Ten, ahead of only Northwestern’s new Ryan Field and Maryland’s SECU Stadium. That doesn’t necessarily mean Minnesota has one of the conference’s smallest fan bases, but filling the stadium and capturing the attention of casual sports fans becomes a much easier task when the Gophers are winning — and local fans and the media really notice when the stadium isn’t full.

Minnesota certainly has its die-hard supporters. Thousands of Gophers fans will show up every week regardless of the opponent or the team’s record. The bigger challenge is capturing everyone else. That’s where winning more than they usually do matters.

The Twin Cities market should, at least theoretically, be one of Minnesota’s biggest advantages. The Gophers are the only major college football program in a metropolitan area with millions of residents. Alas, mediocrity is easy to ignore, and in college football, one or two losses usually eliminate a team from the marquee playoff opportunities.

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Meanwhile, North Dakota State’s rise from an FCS dynasty to an FBS program gives football fans, particularly in northern and western Minnesota, another nearby program to follow. The Bison built an enormous following by winning at an almost unprecedented level in the FCS, and their move to the FBS allows them to compete for even more attention in the region.

To be a big-time football program in a major U.S. city, you have to win, and you have to win big. Across the country, Columbus is a major city, and Ohio State wins big. Austin is a big city, and Texas wins big. Miami is an enormous city, and the Hurricanes win big. Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the country, and USC, while historically relevant, has quickly faded because of recent struggles.

Win big or become an afterthought. That’s the reality.

The program has provided glimpses of what could happen if the Gophers win big. The 2019 season, when Minnesota won 11 games, beat Penn State in a nationally televised showdown, and finished No. 10 in the final AP poll, generated a level of excitement around the program that has rarely been seen in recent decades.

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Fleck has produced winning seasons and bowl victories, but Minnesota failed to capitalize on 2019’s success. The blowout loss to Mississippi State earlier this month only reinforced the frustration among fans who have been waiting for a breakthrough.

The local media doesn’t hate the Gophers, but unless a local TV or radio station is partnered with the University of Minnesota, it’s easy to turn attention elsewhere instead of force-feeding a 7- or 8-win Gophers team down an audience’s throat.

Despised? Hated? Not at all. Distracted by other local winners? Absolutely.

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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.