The Big Ten Conference unveiled the start times for a handful of Minnesota Golden Gophers football contests, setting the stage for a busy early season that includes a marquee rivalry.
Rivalry Returns on Black Friday
The much‑anticipated clash for Paul Bunyan’s Axe will be played on Friday, November 27, at 6:30 p.m. Central time in Madison, Wisconsin, and will be carried live across the nation by NBC, with a simulcast on KA‑RE Channel 11.
Iowa will serve as the Gophers’ homecoming opponent on October 24, while the season opener arrives on a Thursday night against Eastern Illinois, kicking off at 7 p.m. and streaming on Peacock.
A nonconference showdown with Mississippi State follows on September 12 at 2:30 p.m., broadcast on CBS through WCCO‑Channel 4, and the final regular‑season nonconference game against Akron is slated for September 19 on the Big Ten Network.
Although the schedule for the remaining seven conference games in 2026 will be announced at a later date, the announced windows already give fans a clear picture of when and where to tune in.