Minnesota Gophers Bowl Game Destination and Opponent Revealed

By Ezra Greenman |

Updated: Dec 8, 2024

Syndication: Journal Sentinel — Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Minnesota Gophers wrapped up their 2024 regular season with a 7-5 record, securing bowl eligibility once again. This marks Coach Fleck’s sixth bowl game during his time with the Gophers, where he’s currently undefeated at 5-0. Now, he’ll aim to keep that perfect streak alive and make it 6-0.

After plenty of speculation about which bowl game the Gophers would land in, it’s now official. They’re heading to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Minnesota Gophers to take on Virginia Tech in Duke’s Mayo Bowl

It’s Selection Sunday, the day the College Football Playoff committee reveals the playoff matchups and assigns bowl games to teams that didn’t make the cut. Today, they announced the Gophers will face Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Minnesota IS Duke's Country‼️ Officially headed to Charlotte! #RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers

BOWL CENTRAL: https://t.co/XHKlr2pRQY pic.twitter.com/twXK0ZND8x
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 8, 2024

The Gophers are set to face a 6-6 Virginia Tech team that finished 8th in the ACC. This matchup marks the first time these two programs will ever meet on the football field.

Where and what is the Duke’s Mayo Bowl?

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is held at Bank of America Stadium, home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. The game will take place on January 3rd 2025.

Duke’s Mayonnaise has been the title sponsor of the game since 2020, but before that, it went by other names like the Continental Tire Bowl, Meineke Car Care Bowl, and Belk Bowl.

One of the fun traditions Dukes Mayo has introduced is giving the winning team’s head coach a mayo bath after the game.

MAYO DUMP. pic.twitter.com/pEqLT19Zc5
— Duke's Mayo Bowl (@DukesMayoBowl) December 28, 2023

Will P.J. Fleck continue his impressive bowl game streak and improve to a perfect 6-0 while capping it off with a celebratory mayo bath? The answer awaits us on January 3rd.