UCLA is set to enter its third season in the Big Ten following a sophomore campaign in which the program captured three NCAA championships – the most of any Big Ten school. The conference as a whole saw 10 different national titles to its name in the most recent competitive cycle. Daily Bruin Sports will preview the football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and other top programs of each Big Ten rival.

Football
2025 record: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten
Coach: P.J. Fleck
Player to watch: Darius Taylor

For the past two seasons, the “Koi pond” has been stationed in the stands of Minnesota football games – both home and away.

The group of maroon and gold jerseys bearing defensive back Koi Perich’s name has not been limited to family but fans who have hopped on the support train for the Freshman All-American two-way player.

Perich turned down offers from Big Ten powerhouses such as Ohio State to play for his home state school as one of the highest-profile recruits the team had brought in years. But after a sophomore slump in comparison to his breakout freshman year, the Golden Gophers’ star player entered the transfer portal in the most recent offseason, finding a new home with conference foe Oregon.

The Esko, Minnesota, local will likely not see offensive action as a wide receiver or open possessions as the primary kick returner for the Ducks, as he did for the Gophers – who will be forced to cover the loss of more than just a safety.

While Perich’s departure may have dominated headlines, the more important storyline is arguably around who stayed – namely running back Darius Taylor. And for a Gopher team that has historically built its identity around its run game, retaining the rising senior could prove to be imperative.

Minnesota sat second-to-last in rushing yards among Big Ten schools last season despite Taylor’s 670 total ground yards, which ranked 14th in the conference. The Detroit local has seen a decline in the number and success of carries per game since his freshman season, a trend that signals the increasing weakness of the Gophers’ offensive line rather than Taylor’s talent – which has been shown in glimpses throughout his tenure in the Twin Cities.

Minnesota’s decreased running output has been in favor of increased passing plays from offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr., most recently helmed by quarterback Drake Lindsey. As a redshirt freshman, Lindsey earned the tied-third-best single-season touchdown-to-interception ratio in program history, finishing the 2025 campaign with a formidable 2,382 passing yards.

Making consistent bowl appearances has been enough to secure coach P.J. Fleck a contract extension through 2030, and the Gopher fanbase largely knows not to expect any heroics from a team that has not proven it can knock out any of the conference’s heavy-hitters. Minnesota should manage another winning season, especially with a conference schedule that dodges reigning national champions Indiana.

Women’s basketball
2025-2026 record: 24-9, 13-5 Big Ten, Sweet Sixteen appearance
Coach: Dawn Plitzuweit
Player to watch: Tori McKinney

The game clock drained to zero as Amaya Battle held Minnesota’s last regular-time opportunity in her hands.

She drove to the hoop off a pass from the perimeter. A split-second decision, and Battle took a step back, attempting a mid-range jumper that sent her falling to the hardwood.

The then-senior guard raised her hands to the sky as she, while sitting on the court, watched her shot decrescendo through the hoop. One swish and the Gophers were advancing to their first Sweet Sixteen in 21 years off Battle’s buzzer-beater.

Minnesota would promptly be eliminated from the tournament the following game with a loss to soon-to-be NCAA champions UCLA. But the team had earned its spot as national contenders. And Battle had earned her spot in Gopher record books, becoming the first player in program history to record over 1,500 points, 590 assists, and 750 rebounds.

Replacing Battle and the four other graduating athletes will be a tall task for Minnesota. Luckily, coach Dawn Plitzuweit returns three of her five starters, including Second Team All-Big Ten honoree Tori McKinney.

The guard’s 2.20 assist-to-turnover ratio across the 2025-26 campaign set a single-season program record. McKinney struggled on and off with a concussion and neck injury throughout the year, leaving her sidelined during several key moments – including the Gophers’ quarterfinal loss in the Big Ten tournament to Ohio State. Returning to Williams Arena healthy will be crucial for McKinney to cement her status as Minnesota’s primary option, after averaging a team-high 12.7 points per game last season.

Among the Gophers’ veteran class is guard/forward Grace Grocholski, who has emerged as a formidable 3-point shooter after leading the team in 3-point shooting off five attempts per game with a 42.4% clip. Joining her on the perimeter is guard Mara Braun, a consistent staple of Minnesota’s starting lineup for the past few years.

The guard-heavy roster leaves gaps in the frontcourt, and the Gophers are sure to feel the loss of starter Sophie Hart in addition to Finau Tonga off the bench, both of whom exhausted their collegiate eligibility.

Plitzuweit turned to the transfer portal to fill the holes left behind by the two graduating forwards, coming away with former Penn State center Gracie Merkle – one of the nation’s highest-rated bigs.

Holding its own in the Big Ten will be a challenge for any team. While title-holding UCLA may be easier to knock down amid a rebuilding year, USC is putting forward its strongest iteration since arguably the Cheryl Miller days, and conference stalwarts Michigan and Iowa return most of their talent.

With that being said, Minnesota has a compelling combination of veteran chemistry and transfer talent, specifically when it comes to its backcourt rotation. Gopher fans should expect more moments like last spring’s barn burner versus Ole Miss, even if the ball is not coming off Battle’s hands anymore.

Men’s basketball
2025-2026 record: 15-18, 8-12 Big Ten
Coach: Niko Medved
Player to watch: Jaylen Crocker-Johnson

Even before the NIL era, Minnesota was marred by the mark of mediocrity.

The Gophers have not earned an NCAA tournament berth since 2019, and the March Madness appearances they do have from the 2000s are mainly limited to first- and second-round exits.

Add transfer-portal-fueled roster turnover and conference competition to bring in top-dollar recruits to the mix, and Minnesota’s struggles to stay off the bottom of the Big Ten were exacerbated.

The Gophers’ woes seemingly came to a head when they lost to Northwestern in the opening rounds of the conference tournament in 2025, resulting in former head coach Ben Johnson’s firing. Looking for a fresh start, Minnesota brought in Niko Medved from Colorado State, who led his alma mater to a 15-18 record this past season.

Even if Medved did not improve on the previous year’s record, clutching several big wins at home – namely upsetting then-No. 10 Michigan State – gave fans a reason to keep showing up. For students relegated to enduring blowout losses, rushing the court after a ranked win acts as a rejuvenating jolt of energy. And for Medved, the increased enthusiasm earned him a contract extension through 2032.

Minnesota will retain three of its five starters this upcoming season as it attempts to build a strong core moving forward. The Gophers’ leading scorer last season, guard Cade Tyson, who averaged 19.6 points per game as a starter, is currently in the middle of a lawsuit with the NCAA alongside other athletes hoping to retroactively receive a fifth year of eligibility. Even if​​ Tyson is granted an additional season, he will have to find a new home as Minnesota’s roster is at capacity with 15 players.

Headlining the returners are forwards Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Bobby Durkin and guard Isaac Asuma. The trio all averaged more than 10 points per game and sat in the top five on the team in total rebounds and assists.

In his first season playing in a Power Four conference, having followed Medved from Colorado State, Crocker-Johnson had a breakout season that was only marred by a foot injury that kept him sidelined for nine games. If he returns fully healthy, having honed his shooting – his 32.3% clip from deep and 41.5% accuracy from the field leave room for improvement – he could prove to be the Gophers’ biggest threat.

A pair of transfers in guards Winters Grady out of Michigan and Kyan Evans from North Carolina headline the offseason recruiting class. The Gophers are counting on the realization of unused potential from the two – Grady’s struggle with injury stifled his impact with the reigning national champions, and Evans returns under the tutelage of Medved after he failed to replicate his offensive output from Colorado State at UNC.

While the bolstered Minnesota outfit offers the promise of an acceptable Big Ten tournament run, the program still has a long way to go toward holding its own in a conference that put two teams in the Final Four for the first time since 2005.