The Gophers’ opening two regular-season games were over soon after tipoff, thanks to Minnesota’s stifling defense and huge scoring runs against lackluster competition.

Wednesday’s game will be on the other side of the spectrum.

Minnesota (2-0) heads on the road for a huge test against Missouri (3-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.

After trouncing Gardner-Webb 87-62 and Alcorn State 95-50, the Gophers will face a Tigers team that qualified for the NCAA tournament last year and is picked to finish seventh in a loaded Southeastern Conference this season.

“We get to test ourselves in a tough environment,” head coach Niko Medved told the Pioneer Press on Tuesday. “I’m interested to see how we do and if we can take the things that we’ve been able to do well so far and take it to the court.”

Missouri was one of the rare teams in the country to play three games in the opening week, but they were pushed by Southeast Missouri State in a 89-84 win on Friday. With each team having a few games under their belts, film study can now lead to real game plans to try to stop difference-makers.

There are two key questions:

Can Missouri slow down Gophers wing Cade Tyson? The North Carolina transfer is averaging 25.5 points per game, while shooting 45% from 3-point range.

And can Minnesota limit Mark Mitchell? The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging up 20.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. The former McDonald’s All-American, who started his career at Duke, is shooting nearly 70% from two-point range.

“You can see when you watch the film why he’s an all-SEC player,” Medved said. “He has great length and athleticism. He is an incredible attacker of the rim, a guy who can drive it through a keyhole. He is so explosive. When he can get his shoulder on you and into the paint, he causes a ton of problems.”

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson figures to be one of the players tasked with defending Mitchell.

Another recruit?

Medved’s first recruiting class anticipates three players signing with the U on Wednesday: four-star forward Nolen Anderson from Wayzata; three-star center Chadrack Mpoyi from Irvine, Calif.; and three-star point guard Cedric Tomes of East Ridge.

Earlier this fall, Minnesota was looking to add another player to the group but now will probably hold at three high school additions for next year, Medved said.

Alums welcome

Former Gophers center John Thomas visited the U’s practice on Monday. He is the latest in a growing list of former players Medved has welcomed back to their alma mater.

“I was in college with John, too,” said Medved, who was a student manager for the Gophers from 1993-96. “We go way back. He’s one of my favorite people and favorite players. I loved the spirit that he brought to the game.”

Thomas played on the Gophers’ Final Four team in 1997 before going onto a pro career that included five years in the NBA. He was on the Timberwolves in 2004-05.

“It’s awesome to have these guys come back and be around and get a chance to speak to our players, and hopefully develop a connection with our players,” Medved said. “That is what it’s all about.”

Briefly

Confirming the weakness of Minnesota’s early schedule: Gardner-Webb lost to North Greenville, a Division II program, 92-81 on Monday. … Going into Tuesday’s games, Missouri is ranked 35th on the analytics site KenPom.com, while Minnesota has climbed to 64th.

Gophers Langston Reynolds and Cade Tyson celebrate during Minnesota’s exhibition win over North Dakota on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 at Williams Arena (Brace Hemmelgarn / Gophers Athletics)
Gophers guard Langston Reynolds throws down a dunk during the Gophers 95-50 victory over Alcorn State on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 at Williams Arena. (Brad Rempel / Gophers Athletics)

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As has become common whenever the latest classic rocker of a certain age visits town, it’s tempting to ponder whether this will be the final time we’ll see them play the metro.

In the case of Stevie Nicks, who headlines St. Paul’s Grand Casino Arena Wednesday night, there’s a second question. Will we ever see Fleetwood Mac here again?

The answer to both queries is probably not.

Nicks, 77, fractured her shoulder this summer, forcing her to postpone her tour — including the Aug. 19 stop in St. Paul — while she recuperated.

“I’m healing my shoulder as I speak,” Nicks told a crowd in Detroit last month, according to an MLive Media Group review. “Every single day when I get up, something about it is better … I have fought through it and I’m really glad I have somewhere to go besides my living room. I thought I’d turn you into my bigger, better living room.”

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Indeed, in recent years, Nicks seems as invested in her solo career as she’s ever been. Wednesday’s concert will be her sixth in the metro in two decades. Prior to that, she only played the Twin Cities twice, in 1983 and 1989. Plus, she’s working on a new album she’s dubbed “The Ghost Record.” Surely she’ll hit the road again once it’s released. (It includes a song inspired by Prince, who once rebuffed her gift of a gold necklace, telling her “You always bring me a gift; you never bring me you.”)

Nicks does have a soft spot for Minnesota, too. Her only marriage was to Kim Anderson, the widower of her best friend Robin Anderson, who died in 1983. The pair married, but split after just three months, realizing they had bonded over mutual grief, not romantic love. Still, she gives a shout out to Kim Anderson when she plays locally, as he lives in the area.

As for Fleetwood Mac, Nicks has said numerous times that the band was over following the 2022 death of Christine McVie. The famously frosty relations between Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham have thawed some following the September re-release of “Buckingham Nicks,” their joint 1973 album that had been out of print for decades. That led a Rolling Stone writer to hope for a 2027 Fleetwood Mac tour for the 50th anniversary of “Rumours,” but that’s likely just wishful thinking.

If you’re already planning to see Nicks, or if you’re still on the fence about buying tickets, here’s what you need to know:

Tickets

As of Tuesday afternoon, only a smattering of seats were still up for sale via Ticketmaster, with several rows open on the floor near the mixing board and some limited-view seats available on either side of the stage. Ticket prices start around $200, while resale sites had nosebleed seats starting at $175.

The strong sales suggest, if nothing else, the worry this would be Stevie’s last dance in the Twin Cities fueled sales.

Getting there

Grand Casino Arena has two parking areas, RiverCentre Parking Ramp and Kellogg Parking Ramp, both of which are directly connected to the venue. The RiverCentre ramp recently adopted license plate reader technology that’s meant to get vehicles in and out more efficiently. Concertgoers pay by scanning a posted QR code or via the InUGo app. (Make sure you know your license plate number, as you’ll need it when you pay.)

The City of St. Paul runs an online interactive map with other parking options at stpaul.gov/parking-saint-paul.

Grand Casino Arena has five bike racks for non-motorized bikes. The arena is served by both Uber and Lyft, with surge pricing all but guaranteed. Metro Transit also serves the arena via bus and nearby light rail stops. See metrotransit.org or call 612-373-3333 for further details.

Getting inside

As should be expected for any large venue, Grand Casino Arena has a long list of prohibited items, most obvious (weapons, outside food and beverage, laptops), some not so much (wrapped gifts, knitting and crochet equipment).

Bags must not exceed 12” x 12” x 6” and are allowed at designated x-ray entry points. Wristlet, clutch or wallets 4” x 6” x 1.5” or smaller are allowed at all entrances. Guards can and do check sizes, so if you’re in doubt, leave it at home.

If you plan to get something to eat or drink, Grand Casino Arena is a cashless venue. That means only a credit or debit card or a contactless option like Apple Pay or Google Pay will be accepted.

The on-site Michelob Golden Light Taphouse is hosting a pre-party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., offering concertgoers the chance to make their own flower crown and grab a drink and/or bite before the show. The Taphouse is located at section 120 and guests entering before 6 must enter through gate 4.

What to expect from Stevie

Nicks kicked off her current tour on Oct. 1 in Portland, Ore., and it resumes Wednesday in St. Paul after a two-week break. Based on reports from the first run of shows, she’s been taking the stage after 8:15 p.m. and performing for about 100 minutes. (Singer/songwriter and Minnesota native Anna Graves opens.)

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A third of the songs she’s been playing are Fleetwood Mac classics, with the rest coming from her solo career along with a few cover versions. Expect to hear “The Lighthouse,” her 2024 single she co-produced with Sheryl Crow and performed on “Saturday Night Live” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

So far, critics have praised Nicks’ performances. The Charlotte Observer said the show was packed with a crowd that was about 70 percent female, “a surprising number of them under age 30” and that “you can’t really take your eyes off of her.”

The Detroit News called her “one of music’s most distinctive and inimitable personalities” and noted that while there were plenty of reminders of rock star mortality, “Nicks barreled through them with confidence, grace and the power of rock and roll behind her, and she ultimately gave the audience a message of perseverance through difficult times.”

MOORHEAD, Minn. — Gubernatorial candidate and House Speaker Lisa Demuth on Tuesday shared her vision for a Minnesota under Republican leadership during a quick campaign visit to Moorhead.

Demuth, R-Cold Spring, came to the Moorhead Municipal Airport as part of a statewide media tour along with her running mate, Ryan Wilson. Though early in her campaign, Demuth has started to carve out main issues on the economy, education and fighting fraud.

“I believe Minnesota can be stronger and better than where we find ourselves today,” said Demuth, who announced her bid for governor on Nov. 2.

Demuth was elected to the Minnesota House in 2018. She became House minority leader in 2022 and was elected speaker of the House in 2025. During the 2025 legislative session, she led a tied House and negotiated for House Republican priorities in the state’s two-year budget.

During Tuesday’s visit, she talked about Minnesota’s business climate, touching on Moorhead’s proximity to the North Dakota border. She asked if it is easier for businesses to operate in Minnesota or a few miles west in North Dakota.

“Those are important conversations to have,” Demuth said.

Demuth joins a crowded field of Republicans running against incumbent Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. Other candidates include Rep. Kristin Robbins, of Maple Grove, and two former gubernatorial candidates, Scott Jensen and Kendall Qualls.

Tuesday’s events were the first since Demuth announced Wilson as her running mate on Monday, Nov. 10. Wilson, an attorney, ran for state auditor in 2022. He represented the GOP caucus in the state Supreme Court this year as it debated the timing of a special election that would decide the power in the House.

Wilson said their campaign will take an “all of Minnesota approach” to issues, rather than only focusing on the Twin Cities or rural Minnesota.

Earlier on Tuesday, during a campaign stop at the Duluth International Airport, Demuth criticized Walz and other Democrats for spending an $18 billion budget surplus in 2023. She also cited a high tax burden, both on individuals and corporations, and noted that only half of all children can read at grade level.

Meanwhile, she hammered the “record fraud under the leadership of Tim Walz” — with recent scandals including the Feeding our Future nonprofit and the state’s federally funded housing stabilization program.

“The vision that I have for Minnesota is a stronger and better Minnesota,” Demuth said. “An economy that Minnesotans can thrive. Businesses can thrive here, stay in Minnesota and grow in Minnesota. Our families can afford their lives. Our kids deserve to have an excellent education.”

Demuth’s media tour on Tuesday also included stops in Mankato and Paynesville.

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Walz is currently unopposed in the DFL field as he seeks to become the first governor to win a third four-year term. The party last week blasted Demuth as a “corporate candidate” who would “cut taxes for massive corporations while cutting funding for schools and seniors.”

“The CEOs and right-wing corporate lobbyists picked Lisa Demuth because they know she’ll protect hedge funds over health care,” DFL Chair Richard Carlbom said in a statement.

A Republican hasn’t won a statewide contest in Minnesota since 2006. Wilson came close three years ago, falling just 0.34% short of incumbent State Auditor Julie Blaha.

The primary election is Aug. 11, 2026. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.

Duluth News Tribune reporter Tom Olsen contributed to this report.

By PAUL WISEMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump boasts that his tariffs protect American industries, lure factories to the United States, raise money for the federal government and give him diplomatic leverage.

Now, he’s claiming they can finance a windfall for American families, too: He’s promising a generous tariff dividend.

The president proposed the idea on his Truth Social media platform Sunday, five days after his Republican Party lost elections in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere largely because of voter discontent with his economic stewardship — specifically, the high cost of living.

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The tariffs are bringing in so much money, the president posted, that “a dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.’’

Budget experts scoffed at the idea, which conjured memories of the Trump administration’s short-lived plan for DOGE dividend checks financed by billionaire Elon Musk’s federal budget cuts.

“The numbers just don’t check out,″ said Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

Detail are scarce, including what the income limits would be and whether payments would go to children.

Even Trump’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, sounded a bit blindsided by the audacious dividend plan. Appearing Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Bessent said he hadn’t discussed the dividend with the president and suggested that it might not mean that Americans would get a check from the government. Instead, Bessent said, the rebate might take the form of tax cuts.

The tariffs are certainly raising money — $195 billion in the budget year that ended Sept. 30, up 153% from $77 billion in fiscal 2024. But they still account for less than 4% of federal revenue and have done little to dent the federal budget deficit — a staggering $1.8 trillion in fiscal 2025.

Budget wonks say Trump’s dividend math doesn’t work.

John Ricco, an analyst with the Budget Lab at Yale University, reckons that Trump’s tariffs will bring in $200 billion to $300 billion a year in revenue. But a $2,000 dividend — if it went to all Americans, including children — would cost $600 billion. “It’s clear that the revenue coming in would not be adequate,” he said.

Ricco also noted that Trump couldn’t just pay the dividends on his own. They would require legislation from Congress.

Moreover, the centerpiece of Trump’s protectionist trade policies — double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country in the world — may not survive a legal challenge that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a hearing last week, the justices sounded skeptical about the Trump administration’s assertion of sweeping power to declare national emergencies to justify the tariffs. Trump has bypassed Congress, which has authority under the Constitution to levy taxes, including tariffs.

If the court strikes down the tariffs, the Trump administration may be refunding money to the importers who paid them, not sending dividend checks to American families. (Trump could find other ways to impose tariffs, even if he loses at the Supreme Court; but it could be cumbersome and time-consuming.)

Mainstream economists and budget analysts note that tariffs are paid by U.S. importers who then generally try to pass along the cost to their customers through higher prices.

The dividend plan “misses the mark,” the Tax Foundation’s York said. ”If the goal is relief for Americans, just get rid of the tariffs.’’