Sports Notebook, Friday
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Minnesota Duluth extends three-time national champion Scott Sandelin through 2029-30
Sandelin's base pay and supplemental retirement contribution was $595,000 last season and $600,000 for 2026-27, before bonuses and other benefits. Financial terms were not disclosed for the new agreement, which adds three seasons and could take him through his 30th year with the school.
Howie: Defense should keep the Bulldogs in the NSIC title hunt
My projection is 9-2 overall and 9-1 in the NSIC, with losses at Slippery Rock and Wayne State. That record should place UMD in the conference championship fight and produce another NCAA playoff berth.
Howie: Vikings have playoff talent, but quarterback decision will define 2026 season
The Vikings are too talented at receiver, too well coached and too versatile defensively to dismiss. They are also too uncertain at quarterback, center, safety and defensive-line depth to declare a championship contender. The most reasonable prediction is 10-7.
Howie: Experience raises Gophers’ ceiling, but brutal Big Ten road limits their climb
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota will enter the 2026 football season with an established quarterback, a proven running back, one of the Big Ten’s best pass rushers and enough veteran leadership to become a better team than the one that won eight games last year. The problem for P.J. Fleck is