Minnesota strength of schedule
2026 weekly schedule
H · 1 
H · 2 
H · 3 
A · 4 
H · 5 
A · 6 
H · 8 
A · 9 
H · 10 
A · 11 
H · 12 
A · 13 Tougher than average Easier than average · number = opponent's win total
Minnesota 2026 opponents
| Wk | Opponent | Site | Opp wins | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Illinois | vs | 2 | Played |
| 2 | Mississippi State | vs | 5 | Played |
| 3 | Akron | vs | 5 | Played |
| 4 | Washington | @ | 9 | Played |
| 5 | Michigan | vs | 9 | Played |
| 6 | Purdue | @ | 2 | Upcoming |
| 8 | Iowa | vs | 9 | Upcoming |
| 9 | Indiana | @ | 16 | Upcoming |
| 10 | UCLA | vs | 3 | Upcoming |
| 11 | Penn State | @ | 7 | Upcoming |
| 12 | Northwestern | vs | 7 | Upcoming |
| 13 | Wisconsin | @ | 4 | Upcoming |
Opponent strength = each opponent's win total in 2025, its last full season (records-based, no betting win totals are used). Schedule and records from CollegeFootballData. See the full conference strength-of-schedule ranking.
Minnesota Golden Gophers 2026 opponents by win total, week by week. Bars above the 6.4-win FBS average are tougher than average.
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Frequently asked questions
How hard is the Minnesota schedule in 2026?
Minnesota faces one of the easiest schedule in 2026. Its opponents averaged 6.5 wins in 2025, the 14th-toughest among 18 Big Ten programs (the FBS average is 6.4 wins).
How is Minnesota strength of schedule measured?
Each opponent is rated by its 2025 win total (a full season, so early-season results don't skew it) and averaged across the Minnesota 2026 schedule.