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P.J. Fleck to UCLA? He will be much better off in Minnesota

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P.J. Fleck to UCLA? He will be much better off in Minnesota


Barring an unforeseen turnaround, the Gophers football program’s best years are several decades in the past.

Their seven national titles — five of them between 1934 and 1941, and the most recent in 1960 — sometimes seem to serve as an anchor for the modern-day reality of the program.

It’s not realistic to think the Gophers will compete for seven more national titles. A modern day dream might be to have a team every five years that’s good enough to chase a spot in the expanded 12-team college football playoff.

That reality tends to obscure, though, the relatively solid footing the program has found in recent decades. If we can forget about most of the Tim Brewster Era — a memory trick most of us would enjoy — we find a program that has been downright decent for most of the last quarter-century.

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That includes the recent run for head coach P.J. Fleck, who produced 29 total wins in the three full seasons between 2019 and 2022. The program has been pretty good. The facilities are, dare we say, elite?

There are better jobs Fleck could realistically leave for, but not more than a handful.

But yes, old habits die hard. And every job opening that produces a list of potential candidates with Fleck’s name on it becomes a source of worry to some fans — as Patrick Reusse and I talked about on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast.

The latest proof was a 24-hour tempest in a teapot: On Friday, we learned UCLA coach Chip Kelly was bolting to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. Fleck was listed as a top potential replacement at UCLA by several outlets.

The Gophers coach let it simmer for a bit, but by Saturday evening Fleck took time out from vacation to post this on Twitter/X: “Honored to be the Head Football Coach at Minnesota!! Ready for an ELITE 2024 season!! Now, back to our wedding anniversary trip!!”

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Fleck shutting down those rumblings wasn’t surprising, and we might never know how serious any of it was anyway. What might be a revelation to some is this: Minnesota is a much better job than UCLA, and Fleck leaving would have been bad for both the Gophers and the coach.

UCLA’s finances are a mess. Their name, image and likeness money is seemingly nonexistent. Their home stadium (the Rose Bowl) is 26.6 miles from their campus and was half-full on average last year. Whatever glory days existed are several decades old.

And now they are making a jump into the Big Ten. They have sunshine to sell, and not much else. Fleck has it better now than he would there, and the Gophers will benefit from continuity and stability.

Feel free to worry that Fleck might someday leave for a better job. Just make sure it’s one that’s actually worth it.

Here are four more things to know today:

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  • Reusse and I of course also talked about the Super Bowl, and he also had some good perspectives on the Twins after arriving early in Florida ahead of spring training.
  • What’s next for the 49ers after coming up short Sunday?
  • The Gophers men’s basketball team’s loss to Iowa on Sunday after leading by 20 points is one that hurts. It might hurt even more on Selection Sunday.
  • Star Tribune Vikings writer Ben Goessling will join Tuesday’s podcast to talk through all sorts of Vikings offseason scenarios. The new league year starts in a month, and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is on the clock with a lot of big decisions.



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Kids in Need Foundation provides $1 million in school supplies to Minnesota teachers

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Kids in Need Foundation provides  million in school supplies to Minnesota teachers


The Kids in Need Foundation gifted $1 million worth of school supplies to teachers in need.

Taking place at the Kids in Need Foundation’s headquarters in Little Canada, the “Thanks a Million” event brought together teachers from across the state, who were each gifted around $1,000 in school supplies to take back to their classrooms.

The group said the supplies went to teachers at higher-needs schools, districts where 50 percent or more of students would qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Rachelle Oxborough, the foundation’s director of public relations, said school supplies can make a major difference for students, some of whom do not begin classes with the materials they need.

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“School supplies can be completely transformative for a child and their education, when a student can walk in on that first day of school,” Oxborough said. “A majority of students in these schools do not start the school year with school supplies, so when they can start with everything they need, they can step into their education in a totally different way.”

Sabrina Jones, a social worker at Harambee Elementary School in Maplewood, came to pick up supplies for teachers at her school on Saturday.

“But a lot of just writing materials, from the markers to the crayons to just the writing pads, which is just amazing…and also cleaning supplies, because you can’t have enough cleaning supplies for all seasons,” Jones said.

Programs like “Thanks a Million” support teachers financially by providing free classroom materials, rather than having teachers pay out of pocket for their students.

The National Education Association said teachers spend an average of $500 to $900 a year out of pocket on classroom supplies.

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“I mean it’s one in a million, this really shows the support that Kids in Need have for teachers in general, school, everything…you can’t like buy this….this is just amazing,” Jones said.



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Large police presence in south Minneapolis after apparent crash involving Minnesota State Patrol vehicle

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Large police presence in south Minneapolis after apparent crash involving Minnesota State Patrol vehicle



There was a large police presence in south Minneapolis late Friday after what appeared to be a crash involving a Minnesota State Patrol vehicle.

WCCO saw the law enforcement car and a heavily damaged vehicle in the area of West 46th Street and Aldrich Avenue South around 10:45 p.m.

Several law enforcement personnel investigate a Minnesota State Patrol vehicle in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 1, 2026.

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WCCO


Firefighters worked to remove the trooper from the state patrol vehicle and put him in an ambulance. A law enforcement officer told WCCO the trooper hurt their shoulder and suffered cuts, but was otherwise okay. It hasn’t been disclosed whether they were taken to the hospital.

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Firefighters next to a damaged car in the area of West 46th Street and Aldrich Avenue South in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 1, 2026.

WCCO

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There were over a dozen law enforcement personnel, including members of the Minneapolis Police Department and Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, and several emergency vehicles at the scene.

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Over a dozen law enforcement personnel in the area of West 46th Street and Aldrich Avenue South on May 1, 2026.

WCCO


WCCO has reached out to officials for more information regarding the incident.

This story will be updated.

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Minnesota QB Lindsey arrested for underage alcohol, fake ID

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Minnesota QB Lindsey arrested for underage alcohol, fake ID


Minnesota starting quarterback Drake Lindsey was arrested early Friday in Arkansas for underage possession of alcohol and possession of fake identification.

According to a preliminary report from the Fayetteville Police Department, an officer was alerted by staff at the YeeHawg bar shortly after midnight about a possible fake identification document. Staff directed a police officer to Lindsey, 20, who admitted to having the fake identification and to consuming alcohol before arriving at the bar.

The Fayetteville, Arkansas native was taken to the Washington County Detention Center. A copy of the fake ID was discovered in his wallet. Lindsey signed a form for a minor in possession of alcohol/attempted use of fraudulent or altered identification document. He was released about seven hours later after posting $470 bond.

“We are aware of the situation and will address it internally,” a Minnesota spokesman said in a statement to ESPN.

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The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Lindsey started throughout the 2025 season and set a team record for most wins by a freshman (8). He completed 249 of 386 passes for 2,382 yards and 18 touchdowns with six interceptions last fall.

Minnesota completed spring practice last month, and Lindsey completed 4 of 5 passes for 89 yards in the spring game. The Gophers open the 2026 season Sept. 3 at home against Eastern Illinois.

Lindsey has hearings set for June 1 and June 29 in Fayetteville District Court.



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