If pundits and oddsmakers are correct, the Gophers football team will be scratching for a sixth win and bowl eligibility come November.

Minnesota’s chance to advance the Big Ten championship game via the weaker West division is no longer an option given the conference’s decision to go with one 18-team monolithic standings.

With the U picked to finish 12th in the expanded Big Ten, according to the annual cleveland.com poll, it’s possible the Gophers are part of a long logjam of also-rans behind frontrunners Ohio State, new addition Oregon and others.

“I was a big fan of the divisions,” Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle told the Pioneer Press this week. “In my opinion, it keeps people engaged, keeps people a part of the process in those type of things. But I completely understand why we went away from divisions.”

Coyle added: “We have not had conversations as ADs about going back to that (division) format.”

When asked about the Gophers’ 6-7 season in 2023, Coyle pointed to a big framed photo in his office at Athletes Village. The image captured the exact moment wide receiver Daniel Jackson got his toe down in bounds for a late touchdown to help beat Nebraska 13-10 in the season opener.

“His (front) foot is an inch from going out of bounds,” Coyle said. “… That’s the difference between winning and losing in the Big Ten. I mean, it literally is.”

The Gophers’ results under head coach P.J. Fleck were all over the map a year ago. They blew a big lead at Northwestern in September, and snapped an eight-game losing streak to Iowa in October, but couldn’t finish off Illinois amid a four-game losing streak in November. The margin between winning and losing wasn’t close against Michigan, Ohio State or even Purdue.

“Obviously, disappointed with our record,” Coyle said. “P.J. will be the first one to tell you (it’s) not what we wanted to do.”

Both Coyle and Fleck have pointed to a 30-24 win over Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl as an achievement.  “Winning the bowl game was important for our program — five in a row,” Coyle said.

Coyle is encouraged by how Fleck and the Gophers’ name, image and likeness (NIL) collective Dinkytown Athletes have retained all but one returning starter from last year’s team.

“I feel really confident with the direction we’re going and feel like we’re gonna have a really positive year this year,” Coyle said.

As for having more to play for in November, Coyle pointed to the college football playoff expansion this winter to 12 teams.

“I do think Minnesota, I do think Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa, Washington can be part of that conversation, because with the 12-team playoff now, you’re gonna have more opportunities to get in there,” Coyle said. “I’m a firm believer that the Big Ten is the best conference in college football.

“I mean, obviously the SEC has got some giants. We’ve got some giants now. I think the attractiveness of Big Ten football will keep people engaged and, again, hopefully when the Gophers are playing in early November, we are competing for something really special.”

Men’s basketball

Head coach Ben Johnson led a 10-win improvement — from 9-22 two years ago to 19-15 — last season.

“I think (Johnson) done a really good job to make us better, to put us in a position where we can compete,” Coyle said. “We are 9-11 in the Big Ten last year. We made progress there. I am a firm, firm believer that if you go .500 or better in the Big Ten, you’re gonna have a chance to be in March Madness.”

The Gophers’ weak nonconference schedule a year ago damaged their outside chances of getting into the NCAA tournament a year ago. They have an improved schedule for this season.

With the NCAA transfer portal, Johnson has had to remake his roster yet again this offseason, but said he believes this team to be the deepest he has produced.

“We’ve got to figure out how to get to March Madness,” Coyle said. “And so that’s the expectation. He understands that. He embraces that.”

Wrestling

The Gophers finished 22nd in the nation at the NCAA wrestling championships in March. And Coyle has received letters and emails from fans.

“I hear them,” Coyle said.

The Gophers have not had a top five finish in the nation since 2014, and haven’t finished in the top 10 since 2021.

“We have sports that we feel can compete at a national level day in and day out, and wrestling is one of those programs,” Coyle said. “We have not done it for a while.”

Wrestling coach Brandon Eggum was Coyle’s first head coaching hire as AD back in 2017. Penn State and Iowa are the conference’s perennial national contenders, with Coyle noting Ohio State and Wisconsin have invested more in the sport.

“That puts pressure on Minnesota, and we need to make sure that we invest in wrestling,” Coyle said. “… Brandon clearly understands our expectation is to compete and have success. … There’s no doubt we need to have continued improvement with that sport.”

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