Mark it down, Gophers fans: Minnesota and UCLA are set to square off on November 7, 2026, with kickoff time still TBA. It's one of the later dates on next year's slate, landing in that stretch of the schedule where Big Ten races start to take real shape.
Home or away hasn't been published yet for this one, so no word yet on whether it's a trip out to the coast or a game at Huntington Bank Stadium. That detail should firm up as the athletic department finalizes site assignments closer to the season.
The UCLA date is part of a 2026 slate that kicks off September 3 against Eastern Illinois, followed by Mississippi State on September 12 and Akron on September 19 to open the non-conference portion. From there, Minnesota dives into a heavy run of Big Ten football, with Washington on September 26, Michigan on October 3, Purdue on October 10 and Indiana on October 31 all on the docket before the UCLA game arrives in early November.
That's a gauntlet of a middle stretch, and by the time UCLA rolls around, Minnesota should have a clear read on where this team stands in the conference pecking order. UCLA joined the Big Ten as part of the conference's expansion, and any meeting between the two programs still carries a bit of novelty for Gophers fans who are only a few years into seeing the Bruins on the schedule.
There's not much more to chew on yet this far out — no kickoff time, no site confirmation, no sense of what either team's season will look like by then. But it's a date worth circling on the calendar as the picture fills in over the coming months.
