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P.J. Fleck receives mayonnaise bath following Duke's Mayo Bowl victory

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•01/03/25•

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Minnesota HC PJ Fleck at the Duke's Mayo Bowl
© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Friday night featured the penultimate game of Bowl Season as Minnesota and Virginia Tech squared off in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. But afterward, fans got to see one of college football’s top new traditions.

It marked the fourth straight year of the mayonnaise bath following the game. Duke’s Mayo took over the naming rights to the bowl game in 2020, but the 2021 season marked the first year of the mayonnaise bath when Shane Beamer took the inaugural seat. This year, it would be either P.J. Fleck or Brent Pry getting five gallons of mayonnaise dumped on their head.

The Golden Gophers defeated the Hokies 24-10 to win the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. As a result, Fleck got the traditional mayonnaise bath – while donning a Duke’s Mayo tie, of course.

Virginia Tech held a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, but Minnesota broke out in the second quarter. The Golden Gophers put up 21 points, including two touchdown receptions from Elijah Spencer, but an impressive 60-yard field goal from John Love cut the lead to 21-10.

The only other score from there was a 44-yard field goal from Dragan Kesich in the fourth quarter to make it a 24-10 Minnesota lead. That held as the final, and it meant Fleck got the mayonnaise bath.

Both coaches embraced the tradition when they found out about the matchup. As soon as he found out Minnesota would play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Fleck told reporters he’d even want to double it if the Golden Gophers were able to pull off the victory.

Speaking at media day earlier this week, he doubled down. He also said he had a plan in place if Minnesota came out on the winning side.

“I don’t know how many bald head coaches there have been, so this is going to be interesting,” Fleck said this week. “I have a plan just in case that we do win. I’m not sure if it’ll work or not, but I’ve also said make it a double, so I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like. I have heard, though, make sure the people that are going to do the dumping are strong because it is heavier than you think and most coaches get hit in the head. I’ve been hit in the head enough, though, so I’ll be used to it.”

As for Pry, he wasn’t shying away from it at all. He recalled watching Beamer, Mike Locksley and Neal Brown receive the mayonnaise bath and how much fun he had watching it. To be in that chair, he said, would be exciting.

“It will be like, ‘C’mon and give it to me! I want that sucker!,’” Pry said, via the AP. “The players and my family have had a lot of fun watching other coaches get dumped on. So I hope we are that fortunate.”