Gophers coach P.J. Fleck shared in October how he and Nebraska coach Matt Rhule went to a Kenny Chesney concert at the Sphere in Las Vegas last summer. In November, Fleck mentioned how he bonded with Oregon coach Dan Lanning on a recent Nike trip to a tropical locale.
Going into Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Huntington Bank Stadium, Fleck didn’t mention any offseason activities with Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell. It’s clear come the offseason they are not together swaying to a country crooner nor sipping Mai Tais together on a beach somewhere.
When the Gophers beat Wisconsin 24-7 last year, the two coaches’ postgame handshake more brisk than the freezing temperatures on that Black Friday in Madison, Wis. After the drive-by meeting at midfield, Fleck left out a “whoo!” as he went to celebrate with Paul Bunyan’s Axe.
Minnesota Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck yells at a referee as he disagrees with a Gophers pass interference call against the Michigan State Spartans that was eventually overturned in the fourth of a NCAA football game at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
Fleck’s postgame comments can sometimes reveal a thing stuck in his craw. At Big Ten media days in 2021, Nebraska coach Scott Frost followed Fleck at the podium in Indianapolis and said, “I’m not into sloganeering.”
Fleck, of “Row The Boat” notoriety, seemed to have that snippet on his mind when the Gophers beat Nebraska 30-24 at home that October. “That was truly culture versus skill,” Fleck said.
Fleck had another reference ready a year ago at Camp Randall Stadium; the Gophers had just ended the Badgers’ 22-year streak of consecutive bowl appearances.
“Other people are playing for other things — streaks and all that other stuff,” Fleck said. “We were able to play for each other and get the victory.”
Fleck and Fickell crossed paths at Ohio State in 2006, becoming intertwined in the Jim Tressel coaching tree. Fleck had just finished up his NFL-playing career and was a graduate assistant on the offensive side of the ball; Fickell, who played for the Buckeyes, was in his fifth year on staff, then serving as co-defensive coordinator.
“Didn’t have much of a relationship,” Fickell told the Pioneer Press at Big Ten media days in Las Vegas in July. “It was a short amount of time: one year. … It makes it very difficult to not just have friends but even to share ideas with anybody. Maybe people are better, but I can’t image that many of us share anything no matter what kind of history we have with each other. It’s a shame.”
During interviews spots each week, Fleck continued his modus operandi of showing respect to each opponent. He will boost up foes, regardless of if it’s FCS-level Northwestern (La.) State or No. 1 Ohio State. He was complimenting the Badgers (4-7, 2-6) again this week, but Fleck didn’t mention Fickell by name in his weekly news conference or radio show.
Meanwhile, if Fleck sees others not give his team respect, he will seize on that, too. In 2019, a Purdue player made comments about the Gophers, so Fleck had copies of that newspaper story printed and distributed to players. Fleck carried it around postgame after a 38-31 win in West Lafayette, Ind.
It was a sore spot with then-Boilermakers coach Jeff Brohm — another one of Fleck’s coaching rivalries.
In his first year at Wisconsin, Fickell’s Badgers came to Minneapolis and left with the Axe after a 28-14 win in 2023. Then Fleck and the Gophers evened things up with Fickell last year.
Overall, Fleck is now 4-4 against the Badgers, including three wins in the last four rivalry games. He has beat Paul Chryst (twice), interim coach Jim Leonard and Fickell.
The Gophers’ 37-15 win in Madison in 2018 “was a huge step forward for us, getting over that hump,” Fleck said of ending a 14-year losing streak to the Badgers. “… Being able to get that first one, I think it brought the rivalry back. I’m not saying that we’ve dominated that or they’ve dominated us, but I think that the pendulum has gone right back to you don’t know who’s going to win that football game every single year. And I think that what rivalry should be. I think that’s a healthy rivalry.”
And a rivalry richer with personal grudges.
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