P.J. Fleck addresses NIL disparity between Minnesota, Michigan: ‘My job is to do more with less’

Saturday afternoon, Minnesota did something it hasn’t done in nearly 50 years. The Golden Gophers held on to defeat Michigan 20-14 at home, bringing the Little Brown Jug back to the Twin Cities in the process.

It was also a matchup with a big disparity in NIL spending. Michigan is considered one of the bigger spenders in the Big Ten while Minnesota is not. After the game, though, Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck downplayed that difference.

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During his postgame press conference, Fleck said he’s not concerned about Minnesota’s NIL resources as the Gophers navigate the new era of college football. While he expressed gratitude to athletics director Mark Coyle for the resources the program currently has, Fleck stressed the importance of bringing a program together regardless of how much it spends.

“We’ve always been the king of the ‘toos’ – T-O-O – at some point,” Fleck said. “Too small, too short, too slow, too young, too inexperienced. T-O-O. Nah, that’s never bothered me. I’ve always felt like my job is to do more with less, and not less in a bad way. We have resources here. My job as a head football coach is never to ‘B-C-D’ it: blame, complain, ever. That’s why you’re the head coach. Figure it out. And my job is to maximize the resources you have. Would everybody love more resources? Every department here would love more resources. Every team would. Every team in the Big Ten still wants more, no matter what you have.

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“But it’s never going to be used as an excuse here. That guy back there, my boss, works his butt off for this university. I hope that we continue to get more. Absolutely. But my job is to maximize the resources you have, find the right fit, the right people, start in January and go from a group to a team no matter how much money you have.”

Earlier this season, The Athletic reported Michigan’s NIL spending to be roughly in the $36 to $40 million range, which would put the Wolverines in the top five among Big Ten schools. Minnesota’s roster cost, meanwhile, is at roughly $18 to $22 million – 16th in the Big Ten, according to The Athletic.

Entering Saturday, Michigan had won five straight against Minnesota, including a 47-24 victory in Ann Arbor the last time the two teams played. The Golden Gophers last beat the Wolverines 20-14 in 2014, meaning this year’s matchup marked Fleck’s first victory over Michigan since taking over as head coach.

The Minnesota defense rose to the occasion and made things difficult on Bryce Underwood and the Michigan offense. All told, the Wolverines had just 180 total yards – led by 101 passing and 20 rushing from Underwood, who had two interceptions, as well.

Meanwhile, Drake Lindsey went 17-for-25 for 136 yards and a touchdown, to two interceptions, including a pick-six that gave Michigan one of its two touchdowns on the day. Darius Taylor also had two touchdowns, including a receiving score in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winner.