LAS VEGAS — Over eight seasons, Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck has rarely — if ever — talked about measurable goals such as win totals or broad postseason expectations.
Heading into Year 9, that has changed.
Fleck said Wednesday at Big Ten football media days that the Gophers need to be “delusional” heading into the 2025 season. “It means no cap on the jar, no limitations, dreaming big,” he said at the Mandalay Bay Resort.
“With the College Football Playoff where it is, as Indiana showed last year, anybody can get there,” Fleck said. “If we are delusional enough to know we can do that, we can get there.”
The Gophers went 8-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play a year ago, with a 3-4 record in one-possession games.
Fleck pointed out a missed field goal that cost them in a 19-17 season-opening loss to North Carolina, as well as the controversial offsides call on an onside kick in the 27-24 defeat at Michigan and a failed fourth-down conversion in the 26-25 loss versus Penn State.
“How do you improve that?” Flecks said. “You’ve got to win situational football. You got to be better in two-minute (drill) and four-minute (situations). That is what we have been focusing on since January. If we can get a little bit more, and we can flip those just like we did in 2019 — 6-1 in one-possession games — that is how you win 11 games.”
Boosters along for trip
The Gophers brought key boosters along to Las Vegas this year, an important invite given the athletic department’s nearly $9 million budget shortfall amid the new $20.5 million expense in revenue sharing to players.
“Having our donors being able to come along with us was absolutely critical,” Fleck said.
The U was not bringing boosters along when media days were in Indianapolis in recent years. Fleck thanked the Big Ten for moving media days to one of his favorite cities, remarking, “Viva Las Vegas, baby!”
“We get to take our players to our favorite restrurant, Prime in Bellagio and with our favorite waiter, Howard, so we get to experience that Vegas with our players. … Nothing better than that.”
The Gophers’ contingent had dinner with former U center Greg Eslinger at Carversteak in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Eslinger will be will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.
Briefly
The Gophers have no key injuries heading into the start of fall camp on Sunday. … Safety Koi Perich was one of 15 players named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors list on Monday. The sophomore from Esko, Minn., was all-Big Ten first team member with a conference-leading five interceptions in 2024.
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