Historic Contract, Historic Expectations

Investment in Fleck shows the U’s hopes to develop their first football dynasty

By Alex Hadlock

Whether it’s from his Coca-Cola-sponsored cutouts around campus or sprinting the sidelines at Huntington Bank Stadium, you know coach PJ Fleck. The relatively young head coach, who just turned 41, handles the position with the intensity he expects from his players. Fleck’s sociable and charismatic personality found a welcoming home in the Gopher fan base as well, and as the new symbol of Gopher Football. 

Recently, with a new contract extension worth $5 million a year through the 2028 season, Fleck became the highest-paid coach in the program's history. Minnesota’s decision to raise their head coach’s salary means they are now spending more than the #3 ranked Oregon Ducks allocate to pay coach Mario Cristobal. It is no secret that the expectation of Fleck is, and has been, to establish a top-tier Gopher football program, where there has never been one before. 

Investing in Fleck and the program as a whole may be a smart move financially for the university, which collected around $61 million in revenue through a shortened 2020 football season. To free money up for a Covid football season, however, budget cuts during 2020 saw men’s indoor track and field, tennis, and gymnastics terminated. It’s hard to deny the financial incentives generated by football at the university, but it is just as hard to deny the risks of betting so much on the success of one sports team. 

Collegiate football brings in more money across the NCAA than any other sport. If Minnesota were to establish the level of the program they want, the revenue generated by football to the university and the surrounding communities would increase dramatically. There is an undeniable interest in college football, already established here in the Twin Cities metro, that would grow exponentially with any future success. This is, however, an ideal scenario for the football program. What is needed to make it a reality for Gophers? 

Undefeated seasons are somewhat obvious markers of a good program, but  championships take the cake. The Big 10 Conference title was last won by Minnesota in 1967, with their last national championship coming in 1960. Outside of the post-season conference and national championship games are other, essentially meaningless, bowl games. These outlier bowls are easily attainable by achieving 6 wins, or a season record of .500. With more than 40 of these commercially sponsored games, they have become so common and easy to achieve that the only legitimate measure of success is the College Football Playoffs (CFP).

The first CFP in 2015 established a postseason bracket to yield the sport’s national champion. With the top 4 teams at the end of the season making the cut, Minnesota would require a season of multiple victories against ranked opponents and an end to their Big 10 title drought. Simply making outer bowl games is not going to cut it for Fleck and the Gophers.

This challenge is not one solved by being laid out on paper, but Fleck is inheriting a program practically void of success. He has a career coaching record of just (62-44), with many of those as head coach of the Gophers. Recruiting talent to every position will be possibly the biggest challenge ahead, as bigger-named schools have a leg up due to their reputation already being established. With a tangible national championship to shoot for, the other bowl games are played mostly for TV ratings, not for any sort of significant title. Now, Fleck has to hinge his future success through undefeated seasons, conference championships, and appearances in the CFP. 

Whether Fleck deserves the new salary will be a question only answered by time. The length is going to allow him plenty of time to grow with this program, and the opportunity to steer it in a new direction. Personally, I think this move was done too early by the university, and without many tangible things to point to in terms of Fleck’s success. Still, his unique abilities as a coach, figurehead, and the all-around leader of Gopher Football may show he is the right man for the job.