More Good News Confirmed: Massive Investment will match up to $1 million to benefit the Gophers’ football

Dinkytown Athletics finds $1 million match partner for NIL

In today’s college football environment, securing a roster relies heavily on name, image, and likeness (NIL) funding, and the Gophers received positive news this week in that regard.

Nepsis Inc., a Minneapolis-based registered investment advisory firm, announced its partnership with Dinkytown Athletics, the approved NIL collective for the University of Minnesota athletic department, to launch a Million Dollar Match campaign. Nepsis will match all new and upgraded membership contributions and donations to DTA, up to $ 1 million, until November 10, with the funds supporting the Gophers’ football and volleyball programs.

Founded by Mark Pearson, Nepsis has also initiated a Mentoring with Clarity program aimed at educating Gophers student-athletes about financial management. Pearson got involved after meeting head coach P.J. Fleck.

“It’s been a long time coming, and I’m thrilled about the multiple developments, including supporting Coach Fleck and the Gophers,” said Pearson, a 1987 Minnesota graduate. “Coach and I immediately clicked on a personal level. He shares my view on mentoring young men to prepare them for life, emphasizing that football is just one part of their journey.”

Pearson believes Nepsis’s mission aligns well with the changing dynamics in college athletics.

“With NIL and the shifting landscape, young men are suddenly receiving substantial sums of money,” he noted. “There are older individuals who struggle to manage their finances, so it’s even more challenging for 18-, 19-, or 20-year-olds. Our philosophy at Nepsis is about enhancing talents—not just financially, but also in terms of skills and giving back.”

Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle commended Pearson and Nepsis for their initiative and acknowledged the evolving nature of college sports and the significance of funding.

“NIL is here to stay, and our student-athletes are working hard for it,” Coyle said on the KFXN-FM pregame show. “They are approaching this the right way.”

Gophers Defense

Entering Saturday’s game against Maryland, the Gophers ranked No. 4 nationally in pass defense, allowing an average of 139.6 yards per game. Only UCLA, which passed for 293 yards against Minnesota on October 12, had surpassed 200 yards through the air.

Maryland’s quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. became one of the few to exceed 200 yards, but his performance was underwhelming. Coming into the game with the Big Ten’s best average of 301.9 passing yards, Edwards finished with just 201 against the Gophers, completing 19 of 35 passes and throwing two interceptions in the first quarter. Cornerback Justin Walley returned one interception 32 yards for a touchdown, giving the Gophers a 21-0 lead, while safety Koi Perich returned the other 45 yards to set up a field goal.

Perich’s interception was his fifth of the season, establishing a record for Gophers freshmen. He is just two interceptions shy of the modern era record of seven in a season, set by Jeff Wright in 1970 and matched by Antoine Winfield Jr. in 2019.

On the mend

One of Fleck’s objectives during the bye week was to ensure his team was as healthy as possible. On Saturday, Minnesota welcomed back its second-leading tackler and received a Big Ten availability report that didn’t list many starters as unavailable.

Linebacker Maverick Baranowski, who missed games against USC and UCLA due to injury, was not included in the availability report issued two hours before kickoff against Maryland at Huntington Bank Stadium. This indicated that Baranowski, who had 36 tackles—second only to linebacker Cody Lindenberg’s 48—was cleared to play. He recorded one tackle and teamed up with safety Kerry Brown to stop Maryland running back Roman Hemby on a fourth down in the first quarter.

Brown and fellow safety Aidan Gousby also returned, although Gousby had to leave the game late in the fourth quarter. Defensive end Jah Joyner also exited in the final moments of the game.

The only regulars listed as out were wide receiver Cristian Driver and safety Darius Green, and no Gophers were marked as questionable.

Reserve tight ends Pierce Walsh, Jacob Simpson, and Nathan Jones were listed as out, and true freshman defensive lineman Riley Sunram is out for the season.