MINNEAPOLIS — The Golden Gophers are going to face off against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 28, 2021, in Phoenix, Ariz.
The Gophers went 8-4 in the regular season and 6-3 in the Big Ten.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the Gophers and Mountaineers, according to a U of M news release.
West Virginia's record for the season was 6-6 with 4-5 in conference play.
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl will be the third bowl game for the Gophers under head coach P.J. Fleck.
Minnesota beat Auburn in the 2020 Outback Bowl and Georgia Tech in the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl.
“It’s a tremendous honor to compete in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia,” said Fleck in the news release. “Our team is excited to head to Phoenix, which is one of the most beautiful places in the country, and we look forward to facing a very talented West Virginia team. They are extremely well-coached and this game will be a terrific challenge for us. We are thankful to Guaranteed Rate, Executive Director Mike Nealy, Chairman of the Board Patrick Barkley, the Fiesta Bowl Organization and all the Yellow Jackets for inviting us. We look forward to representing the state of Minnesota on Dec. 28 in sunny Phoenix.”
