Minnesota Hosts Harvard in Season Opener - University of Minnesota Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Golden Gophers are set to open the home season against Harvard at The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota on Monday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. CT. The game can be streamed live on B1G+ with Marisa Cate and Blythe Whealy and can be heard on KFAN+ with Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist on the call.

Minnesota (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Ten) vs. Harvard (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Ivy League)
Stream: B1G+ (Marisa Cate, Blythe Whealy)
Tip Time: 5:01 p.m. CT
Radio: KFAN+ 96.7 FM and the iHeartRadio app (Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist)
Location: The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Promotions: Join us at The Barn as we tip off the 2026-27 season against Harvard! Student tickets are free for both men's and women's basketball for this game by using your Gopher Student Sports Pass.

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S DOUBLEHEADER MONDAY
Men's basketball ticket holders are welcome to arrive early and attend the women's basketball game. Seating will be available in Sections 110 and 112, Row 16 and above, until the Gopher women's game concludes. Fans may then move to their assigned seats for the men's game. Women's basketball fans are invited to stay for the men's game by utilizing bench seating in Sections 212, 213, or 224.

OPEN GATE AND BAG POLICY
Entrances in The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will now utilize Open Gate screening technology to expedite entry into the venue. This innovative system is designed to screen individuals for prohibited items without requiring people to remove everyday items like phones or keys. Fans are still encouraged to familiarize themselves with the updated BAG POLICY. The updated bag policy is designed to provide a safer environment and significantly expedite fan entry into the building.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Monday's tipoff will be the fifth all-time meeting between Minnesota and Harvard in a series that began in 1980. The Gophers lead the series 4-0 and last faced the Crimson on Nov. 12, 2016.

YEAR PREVIEW

Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit enters her fourth season at the helm of the Gopher women's basketball program. Last season, Plitzuweit guided the Maroon and Gold to its best season in more than 20 years with a run to the Sweet 16.
Plitzuweit welcomes back her associate head coaches Jason Jeschke and Aaron Horn, and assistant coaches Ariel Braker, Ty VanWinkle and Chloe Lamb.
The Gophers reached the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season, making Plitzuweit just the second coach in program history to achieve three straight 20-win seasons, joining Pam Borton (2002-05).
Minnesota finished Big Ten play with a 13-5 record. The 13 conference wins matched a program high previously accomplished during the 1982-83 and 1984-85 seasons. Their impressive performance earned them a No. 3 seed and double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, their highest finished since 2017-28.
The Gophers secured four wins over AP Top 25 opponents, including two victories over top 10 teams, the program's first season with multiple top 10 wins since 2003-04.
The Maroon and Gold return starters Mara Braun and Grace Grocholski who started all 33 games in 2025-26.
Sophomore Makena Christian also averaged 10.8 minutes per game. In her debut against North Dakota (Nov. 4), the guard recorded a career-high 23 points. She was the first Gopher to score 23 points in a debut since Lindsey Lieser did so against Ball State on Nov. 20, 1999.
For the second consecutive season, Grace Grocholski led Minnesota in points scored with 400 after scoring 473 as a sophomore. The senior has scored 1,260 career points and is 20th all time on Minnesota's scoring list.
Mara Braun also entered Minnesota's 1,000-point club and is currently No. 18 on the Gophers' all-time scoring list with 1,282 career points. Last year, Braun averaged 11.7 points per game. In the Maroon and Gold's last 10 regular-season games, the guard was scoring 13.2 points per game.
It was announced on Oct. 19 that junior guard Tori McKinney suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice.

MEET THE NEWCOMERS

The Gophers welcomed six newcomers ahead of the 2026-27 season. Minnesota added three transfers in Gracie Merkle, Tayla Thomas and Leah Harmon and three freshmen in Natalie Kussow, Tori Oehrlein and Kylee Paben.
Merkle and Thomas join the squad after competing in the Big Ten at Penn State and Northwestern, respectively. Merkle started 24 of 26 games last season with the Nittany Lions and led the team in rebounds (8.2 per game), blocks (1.07 per game) and field goal percentage (.725) while ranking second on the team in scoring (19.2 per game). In her sophomore year with the Wildcats, Thomas started 28 of 29 games and averaged 9.7 points per game and led the team in rebounds (7.2 per game) and blocks (1.2 per game).
Harmon comes to Dinkytown after gaining highly competitive experience at UCF as a sophomore. Harmon led the Knights in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game, and made 103 total field goals. She tallied a career-high 38 points (fifth most in UCF program history) against Kansas.
Kussow rounded out her high school career at Arrowhead with a decorated resume. Last season, she was named WBCA (Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association) Ms. Basketball and is a two-time Wisconsin State Gatorade Player of the Year and Milwaukee Sentinel Wisconsin State Player of the Year.
2026 Strib Varsity All-Minnesota team honoree and a 2026 MSHSL Class AA Ms. Basketball Finalist, freshman Tori Oehrlein was the fastest Minnesotan to reach 5,000 career points in the MSHSL (Minnesota State High School League).
Paben hails from Omaha, Nebraska, and comes to Minnesota after a successful high school and prep career. The forward was named the 2026 Nebraska State Gatorade Player of the Year and 2025 Nebraska State Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Ranked as the No. 1 recruit in Nebraska, Paben was a four-year varsity letter winner at Millard West High School.

GRACIE MERKLE LISA LESLIE AWARD

On Friday, it was announced that Gracie Merkle was named to the 20-player watch list for the 2027 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.
The Lisa Leslie Award, now in its 10th year, recognizes the top center in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. It is named after the three-time All-American, 1994 National Player of the Year, and Class of 2015 Hall of Famer.
The winner of the 2027 Leslie Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), and the Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward).

THE BARN BY BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF MINNESOTA

Honoring tradition while embracing a vibrant future, the basketball arena at the university's Twin Cities campus will officially be recognized by its beloved nickname, "The Barn." With support from Blue Cross, The Barn will continue to serve as the home for Gopher basketball. Together, Blue Cross and the University are building on their shared Minnesota roots to ensure The Barn continues to thrive as a hub for campus and community connection for generations to come.
The home of Gopher basketball originally opened in 1928 as the Minnesota Field House. It was known as Williams Arena from 1950 – 2026 and will now be known as The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

ABOUT HARVARD

Led by fifth-year head coach Carrie Moore, Harvard comes into the 2026-27 season after posting a 20-12 record in 2025-26. Moore was named to the 2027 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List for the second consecutive season. Last season, Moore led the Crimson to its third 20-win season in four years, a WBIT quarterfinals appearance and its third Ivy League Tournament championship game in four years.
Senior Karlee White was one of 25 players on the 2027 Beck Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year preseason watch list. She's one of only three Ivy League players on the list. Last season, the guard averaged 15.0 points, .518 shooting, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.8 assists per game.
Harvard returns 13 players from last season and has added three newcomers.
The Gophers and Crimson last played on Nov. 11, 2016, at The Barn. Minnesota defeated Harvard 103-87.

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Players Mentioned

Mara Braun

Makena Christian

Grace Grocholski

Leah Harmon

Natalie Kussow

Tori McKinney

Gracie Merkle

Tori Oehrlein

Kylee Paben

Tayla Thomas