Gophers' 2026 Homecoming Week Built Around Two Major Rivalries

The University of Minnesota campus will host two of the best college sports rivalries during the same week in late October.

Oct 25, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; The Minnesota Golden Gophers line up on offense against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Homecoming week has historically been a time for college programs to schedule favorable matchups to hope for a win in front of their home crowd. That will not be the case for the University of Minnesota in 2026, as two of the best rivalries in college sports will be highlighted in three consecutive days.

Official: Gophers men's hockey will host rival North Dakota on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23, which means the UMN campus will have a LOADED rivalry week.

Thursday, Oct. 22: M Hky vs. UND
Friday, Oct. 23: M Hky vs. UND
Saturday, Oct. 24: Football vs. Iowa

Potential all-time week.🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/tv0Rs3f1hn

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) April 22, 2026

The University of North Dakota revealed its 2026-27 men's hockey schedule on Tuesday, which confirmed a meeting with the Gophers on Thursday, Oct. 22 and Friday, Oct. 23 at 3M Arena at Mariucci. That means the first Minnesota-North Dakota men's hockey series in Minneapolis since 2023 will lead right into a Saturday Homecoming football game between Minnesota and Iowa for Floyd of Rosedale.

U of M Homecoming 2026

• Thursday, Oct. 22: Men's hockey vs. North Dakota
• Friday, Oct. 23: Men's hockey vs. North Dakota
• Saturday, Oct. 24: Football vs. Iowa

The Gophers have not yet released their official 2026-27 men's hockey schedule, but North Dakota is one of a few dates that have begun to roll in, based on other team's announcements.

Minnesota-North Dakota is viewed by most as the fiercest rivalry in college hockey. The first taste of the hatred for first-year head coach Brett Larson will happen in late October. Iowa is viewed by many as the second-biggest rival for Gophers football, but it still generates buzz and hatred to the level of many schools' top rival.

The Gophers haven't beaten Iowa in Minneapolis since 2014, and they've only won twice in the series since 2011. It has become a thorn in P.J. Fleck's resume that's hard to ignore. Coming off a 41-3 beatdown in Iowa City last October, this year's game will feel huge for Fleck's squad.

As much as college sports have become national over the past few decades, a season is often defined by your success against rivals. An early-season win or even sweep for Larson over UND would be a huge feather in his cap. The football team's success against Iowa in Week 7 has the chance to seriously make or break their entire season.

It's going to be hard to find a more significant week on next year's athletic calendar for the Gophers. Homecoming probably doesn't have the same cachet it once did, but adding that to the mix could make it an all-time week on the University of Minnesota campus. We haven't even hit summer yet, but it's looking like another great fall in Minneapolis.