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We hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving Day, but the time for turkey is done, and it’s time for a huge weekend of Minnesota Gophers sports. The Axe is up for grabs, as is bragging rights in Grand Forks. The Gopher women’s hockey team has a big showplace holiday tournament to attend, and volleyball may be playing for their NCAA Tournament hosting rights. Here is how you can watch it all this weekend!
Friday November 26th
Women’s Basketball vs Bradley 3PM BTN+
The Gopher women’s basketball team is back at the barn after a 6th place finish at the battle 4 Atlantis Tournament last weekend. The Gophers will face Bradley out of the Missouri Valley who is 3-1 on the season. Tip time is 3PM and it will stream live on BTN and can be heard on the KFAN+ I Heart Radio Stream.
Women’s Hockey vs Mercyhurst (in Nashville) 4:30 PM Twitch Stream
The #3 Gopher women’s hockey team brings a 10 game winning streak into the weekend where they will head down to Nashville for the Smashville Showcase event. Minnesota is 10-1 all time against the Lakers/ The Gophers will open play against Mercyhurst Friday afternoon at 4:30 and the game will be streamed for free on the Total Hockey Twitch Page HERE.
Men’s Hockey @ North Dakota 7 PM —Midco/Xfinity/MediaCom
The Gopher men’s hockey team will play one of their rivals North Dakota in Grand Forks this weekend. It will be a tough task for the Gophers who have split their past three Big Ten series and now will face a tom NCHC team in their home arena. It won’t be the easiest series to see either if you live in the Twin Cities as the TV rights are carried by the Fighting Hawks who air their broadcast on Midco Sports. A simulcast of that broadcast will be picked up and aired on Xfinity Channel 999 and Media Com Channel MC22. If you don’t have one of those providers, you are out of luck. You can stream the game on NCHC.TV for a fee...not a cheap one either may we add, or just listed to Wally and Frank like the rest of us on 1130 AM/103.5 FM or the I Heart Radio App.
Volleyball @ Penn State 7PM—BTN
The Gopher volleyball team will face their final really tough road task Friday night at Penn State. Minnesota is 13-5 in conference while Penn State is 12-6. Minnesota sits two games behind first place Nebraska and Wisconsin who play one another tonight in what is a virtual Big Ten Championship game in Madison. Minnesota was swept 3-0 by Penn State in the Pav in October. The Gophers may need a win to clinch hosting of a NCAA regional next weekend. Heading into the weekend they are teetering near the #16 spot in the RPI which the committee will use to determine the top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament and who will get to host the first two rounds.
Saturday November 27th
Football vs Wisconsin 3 PM FOX
The Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe will kick off at 3PM to a national audience on Fox after a lead in of Michigan/Ohio State. It’s possible the Big Ten West could be up for grabs depending on how Nebraska fairs against Iowa on Friday. In either case, Minnesota desperately wants to win the Axe back on home turf for the first time since 2003.
Women’s Hockey vs Colgate/ Boston College 1/4:30 PM Twitch
The Gopher women will either face Colgate (who they swept on the road earlier this season) or Boston College in the second game of the Smashville Showcase on Saturday. If they win Friday over Mercyhurst they will play the other winner for the title at 4:30. Lose and they play in the consolation game at 1PM. The game swill be streamed once again on Twitch at the same link as Friday’s game.
Men’s Hockey @ North Dakota 6PM—Same TV as Friday
Game two of the series between the Gophers and Fighting Hawks faces off at 6PM Saturday night with the same TV partners as Friday.
Volleyball @ Maryland 6PM BTN+
The Gophers complete the regular season at Maryland. Minnesota defeated the Terps at the Pav early in the season and it should be a win to close out the Big Ten season and await their NCAA fate Sunday night.
Sunday November 28th
Wrestling vs South Dakota State 1PM BTN+
The Gopher wresting team returns to the Pav and hosts South Dakota State. The meet begins at 1PM and will stream on BTN+
Women’s Basketball vs UTSA 2PM BTN+
The Gopher women play their second game in 48 hours as they host the UTSA Roadrunners at the Barn. The game will air on BTN+.
Volleyball—NCAA Selection Show 7:30PM ESPNU
The Gophers will find out their NCAA Tournament fate at 7:30 Sunday night on ESPNU. Minnesota is right on the edge of hosting the first two rounds and we will find out if that will happen or if they will need to be road warriors to get back to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament once again.