Did the Gophers get snubbed again with their bowl game selection?

Minnesota has routinely gotten overlooked in terms of a more favorable bowl game selection.

Nov 1, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck looks on during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Gophers are heading to Phoenix, Arizona, for the Rate Bowl this winter, and they will face New Mexico on December 26. But did they get overlooked again?

Bowl game selections are not an exact science, but it seems as if Minnesota was judged against 7-5 Nebraska, 6-6 Penn State and 6-6 Northwestern. The Nittany Lions are expected to play at the Pinstripe Bowl, which makes sense due to their geographic location near Yankee Stadium in New York City. The Wildcats are heading to Detroit for the GameAbove Sports Bowl due to having one fewer win than Minnesota.

That left Minnesota and Nebraska for the Vegas Bowl and the Rate Bowl. It's ultimately subjective to say which game is more prestigious. But the Cornhuskers will face Utah, which was ranked in the top 15 for most of the season, and the Gophers will play New Mexico from the Mountain West in a game they've appeared in five times since 2006. So was Minnesota snubbed?

Nebraska is heading to the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah, and the Gophers are heading back to the Rate Bowl against New Mexico.

Did Minnesota get overlooked again? pic.twitter.com/5jdlLfS2Or

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) December 7, 2025

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Latest Big Ten bowl game projections

• Indiana (Rose) v TBD
• Ohio State (Cotton) v TBD
• Oregon (CFP 1st RD) v James Madison
• Iowa (ReliaQuest) v Vanderbilt
• USC (Alamo) v TCU
• Michigan (Citrus) v Texas
• Illinois (Music City) v Tennessee
• Washington (LA) v Boise St
• Nebraska (Vegas) v Utah
• Minnesota (Rate) v New Mexico
• Penn State (Pinstripe) v TBD
• Northwestern (GameAbove Sports) v TBD

The Gophers had the same record, one more Big Ten win, a head-to-head win, a better strength of record, and a better strength of schedule than Nebraska. The only major metric the Cornhuskers had the advantage over was ESPN's FPI.

Nebraska getting the Vegas Bowl invite is only more confirmation that the overall record is only part of the selection process for these games. Minnesota has a healthy QB, and it proved it's a better team than the Cornhuskers. I am sure both teams would favor a trip to Las Vegas for a matchup with No. 15 Utah over the Rate Bowl against New Mexico.

The Nebraska fanbase is routinely viewed among the best in terms of travel for bowl games, and it's still considered a major national brand in college football. That is the only thing that supports the Cornhuskers getting the Vegas Bowl nod over Minnesota, because they did not prove it on the football field.