Gophers’ Thanksgiving game will pit them against opponent for first time in 29 years

The Minnesota men’s basketball team now knows who it will face in its Thanksgiving week tournament.

The ESPN Events Invitational field was set last month but it was announced Thursday that the Gophers will face Wichita State in the opening game on Thanksgiving. That game is scheduled to tip off at 11 a.m. on ESPN.

On Black Friday, the Gophers will then play either Wake Forest or Florida.

The Gophers haven’t faced Wichita State since Nov. 25, 1995, a game the Gophers won in Hawaii. Minnesota is 1-0 in neutral site games against the Shockers and 1-3 in the other four matchups.

The tournament will be Minnesota’s third time in the event overall and first since 2011. It’ll also be the Gophers’ first game in the state of Florida since 2016.