The Minnesota Golden Gophers football program may have picked up their first win of the 2025 season on Thursday night, but for Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, that was the last thing on his mind when he stepped to the podium following the program’s season opener.

The 44-year-old head coach, who is now in his ninth season with the program, instead wanted to offer a message on the tragic shooting that occurred at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday.

Given the seriousness of the subject, we are presenting Fleck’s comments verbatim and in full.

“All right, I’m going to start by saying this. I’m not a politician. I don’t have to be a politician, nor do I want to be a politician. But I do feel like, as the University of Minnesota and a football coach, you represent a lot of people.

We’ve been through a demonic tragedy over the past few days. And that’s felt by every single person in our city, in our state. I’m a husband and a father first, so are our coaches. Our players are sons. And I think I speak for everyone when we say that our thoughts, our hearts, our prayers are with every single family that is going through an unthinkable, horrific tragedy, unimaginable. And there’s way more important things than football.

And I’ve stood before all of you and continue to say there’s way more important things than football without this. But we were the first team, I think, to play since that. We talked to our team about the tragedy. We said that we’re playing for so many more people than just our locker room and our fans. We’re playing to give hope to people for maybe a minute. That’s what Row the Boat’s all about.

Row the Boat is about putting your oar back in the water and rowing. And that’s what this community and this state has always been about. And that’s why I’ve fallen in love and Heather has fallen in love with this community and this state.

And it’s unthinkable to know what those families are going through. And I’m sure that this doesn’t make anybody feel any better. But I truly hope that we brought a little glimpse of hope with our backs against the wall to our city, where they could excel for a minute and smile with a Gopher football win.

It is the smallest thing right now. Even in the locker room, I told our players, even our win, we’re 1-0, smallest thing we’re thinking about right now. We’re thinking about every single person involved in that tragedy. Every family member, not just moms and dads, but grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, friends, relatives, neighbors, it’s unthinkable.

And there’s a lot that has to be done. Again, I’m not a politician, nor do I act as one. But there’s a lot of things that need to happen and should happen. And we need to hold people accountable to make sure that happens. These are our kids.

So I’ll leave it at that, and just know that we’re thinking about all of you.”