After two consecutive games were canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak, the Gopher football team is schedule to wrap up the regular season this Saturday against Nebraska, but head coach P.J. Fleck is lobbying to have the canceled border battle contest between Minnesota and Wisconsin rescheduled.
“Wisconsin-Minnesota is one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football,” Fleck said during his Monday press conference. “We would love to play that game, and I think Wisconsin would say the exact same thing.”
Fleck said both teams are lobbying to have the game played next week, which was initially designed to serve as the Big Ten Championship Game between the East and West division winners.
“I hope that all works out. Nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Fleck said. “Why not? I know that the University of Minnesota, I know that that our student-athletes want to continue to uphold that famous rivalry and tradition. That’s what it’s all about. That’s exciting, that’s the fun part about this. I’m sure Wisconsin feels the same way.”
Fleck said there have been numerous conversations about the next couple of weeks, though any decision about allowing the game would have to come from the top of the Big Ten.
“I’m here to say that it’s been an interesting year, to say the least, that who knows what that last week looks like and if it hasn’t been scheduled, then why not?” he said. “It would be great to continue that streak of one of the greatest rivalries in college football.”
If the game isn’t made up, it’ll mark the first year since 1906 that Minnesota and Wisconsin haven’t faced each other.
Lates forecast from Novak Weather
