Report: Gophers schedule showdown with the Campbell Fighting Camels

Campbell played — and lost — against Virginia, Ohio State and North Carolina last season.

Dec 29, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Campbell Fighting Camels guard Jasin Sinani (13) on the court in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Campbell Fighting Camels? Laugh all you want. Just know that when you mock the Camels, you're likely insulting 1970 Minnesota Twins Cy Young winner Jim Perry.

Perry and his brother, Gaylord, pitched at Campbell University in the late 1950s. Both went on to establish themselves are two of the best pitchers of the their generation. Cool story, right? It sure is, and the only thing it has to do with this story is that the Golden Gophers men's basketball team has reportedly scheduled a nonconference game against Campbell.

According to college hoops insider Rocco Miller, the Gophers will host Campbell on Sunday, Dec. 21. It'll be the first meeting in men's basketball between the two since 1997, the season after Minnesota reached the Final Four. The Gophers won that game 67-57 at Williams Arena.

The most intriguing thing about the looming matchup is that it'll feature a couple of head coaches in their first year with a new team. Niko Medved is in his first season as Gophers head coach after taking Colorado State to the NCAA Tournament, and John Andrejzek is in Year 1 at Campbell after serving as an assistant for the past two seasons — and winning a national championship — at Florida.

Here's what Minnesotas' unconfirmed nonconference schedule currently looks like:

• Nov. 8: Alcorn State
• Nov. 15: Wisconsin-Green Bay
• Nov. ?: Missouri
• Nov. ?: Chicago State
• Nov. 25-26: Acrisure Series
• Nov. 25-26: Acrisure Series
• Dec. 21: Campbell
• Dec. 29: Fairleigh Dickinson

Minnesota has at least two more nonconference games to add, and it would be a smart move to schedule a game against a Quad 1 opponent to bolster a resume in the event the Gophers are good enough to contend for a spot in the NCAA tourney.