Kickoff time, TV channel revealed for Gophers' trip to Wrigley Field

The Gophers will look to rebound from another noncompetitive road loss when they head to Chicago next weekend to take on Northwestern at historic Wrigley Field in the penultimate game of the 2025 regular season.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. central time on Big Ten Network, which feels like a fitting stage for a game between mid-tier teams in the conference. The Gophers (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) have already secured bowl eligibility, while the Wildcats (5-5, 3-4) may need one more win against either Minnesota or Illinois to get there (though they could potentially make a bowl with five wins due to their high APR).

Northwestern has opened as early 3.5-point favorites for next week's semi-home, semi-neutral site contest in Wrigleyville.

The Gophers open as (+3.5) betting underdogs for their final road game of the season against Northwestern at Wrigley Field.

The game will kick off at 11 a.m. CT on BTN.

Let's hear some early predictions!👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/ejhjiM0X9H
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) November 16, 2025

One streak is going to end next Saturday. Either the Gophers are going to win their first game away from Minneapolis this season after starting 0-4 in such contests, or the Wildcats are going to win their first-ever game at Wrigley Field. Northwestern's loss to Michigan on Saturday dropped them to 0-6 all-time at Wrigley, where they've played six times since 2010.

This will be Minnesota's first time playing at the home of the Chicago Cubs. The Gophers are 56-37-5 all-time against Northwestern, although the Wildcats are 9-7 in the series over the last 20 years. The most recent meeting between the two schools was a 37-34 Northwestern win in 2023.

The Wildcats are in their third season under head coach David Braun after longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired amid a hazing scandal. NU surprised with an 8-5 season in Braun's debut campaign in 2023, but the 'Cats were just 4-8 last year. They started 5-2 this year, with conference wins over UCLA, Penn State, and Purdue, but have since lost three in a row against Nebraska, USC, and Michigan.

Northwestern and Minnesota are both near the bottom of the Big Ten in points per game. Both defenses are roughly in the middle of the pack in the conference. This projects as an evenly-matched, low-scoring affair.

NU quarterback Preston Stone, a transfer from SMU, has been somewhat of a disappointment in 2025, with just 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions in 10 games. The Wildcats have a solid skill position trio of running backs Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II and wide receiver Griffin Wilde, who is their only player with more than 250 receiving yards.

Northwestern won the turnover battle 5-0 against Michigan this Saturday and still managed to fall short. The Wildcats' solid defense is led by pass rushers Aidan Hubbard and Anto Saka, who are both likely to play at the next level.

This is a big opportunity for P.J. Fleck and the Gophers to avoid a winless road slate in 2025 and head into the Battle for the Axe with some momentum.

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