P.J. Fleck shares Minnesota’s travel plans for Friday night game at Oregon

LAS VEGAS The only oddity about the Big Ten meeting is that Oregon will be playing Minnesota for the first time ever in 16 weeks. The week prior to their Friday night game against the Golden Gophers, who have a bye before traveling to Eugene, the Ducks play at Iowa.

According to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, that is special. We’ll be alright as long as you’re conscious of it, convey it, and don’t have the occasion overshadow the game.

In 2025, the home team is coming off a road trip, and the visiting team is coming off a bye. This is one of three Friday night games at West Coast Big Ten teams. Under the same conditions, USC hosts Northwestern and Washington hosts Rutgers.

Minnesota, which finished the 2024 regular season with an 8-5 record, played Wisconsin on a Friday. During P.J. Fleck’s tenure, it has also participated in a number of Friday night games and made several visits to the West Coast, including one to Oregon State in 2017.

Fleck stated that his Western Michigan midweek MAC experience will be helpful as he gets ready to visit Autzen Stadium in the late fall.

Fleck stated, “I like to keep everyone on Central time and keep it pretty standard.” I dislike leaving a place two to three days early. That is not how I have ever been.

Last season, the Ducks played two Friday night games: one at Purdue and one at home versus Michigan State.

In contrast to Fleck, former Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith stated that he would like to visit a West coast location two days prior to the game in the future. However, last season, with the Spartans having just played Ohio State, it was not possible. On the way to West Lafayette, the Ducks encountered the same problem.

Fleck intends to come the day before Minnesota’s two West Coast games, which the Gophers play at Cal on September 13, at least going into the season.

When the National Football League travels abroad and crosses so many time zones, we use all of their data and information, Fleck said. We follow specific procedures when we are flying, including what we do before boarding and after boarding.

You’re attempting to take advantage of all these little 1% advantages because you’re going on a big trip and many people will be setting the tone for conversation and creating distractions. It all comes down to presentation. Presentation, in my opinion, is crucial. What would you say to your football squad about that?

James Crepea discusses the Big Ten and Oregon Ducks.

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