Overview
- Kickoff is Friday, Dec. 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Chase Field hosts the Rate Bowl, one of the few college bowls played in a baseball stadium.
- Minnesota enters 7-5 with a 6-0 bowl record under Fleck, while New Mexico arrives 9-3 after a six-game win streak.
- Betting markets list Minnesota as a slight favorite, with lines around Gophers -2.5 to -3.5 and analysts split on picks.
- Gophers RB Darius Taylor says the transfer portal is "not an option" and will play; QB Drake Lindsey and several teammates plan to return in 2026, while DL Anthony Smith is weighing NFL options.