“A man distracted is a man defeated.”

That’s one of Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck’s many catchphrases, and one he was willing to contradict during the bye week in mid-October.

The second half of Minnesota’s schedule is a doozy. It started on a positive note with a 13-10 upset win over then-No. 15 Iowa last week, but is followed by reigning national champion and fourth-ranked Indiana on Saturday and No. 7 UCLA at home next weekend.

Together, it’s the Gophers’ first string of three straight ranked opponents since 2015. Despite that gauntlet, Fleck and his staff were telling players to commit what otherwise is considered a sin in the world of sports: Look ahead to next season.

In a team meeting, Fleck explained how they program will be working ahead on player retention for next season. The goal is to sign current UMN players to contracts for 2027 ahead of the NCAA transfer portal opening for two weeks on Jan. 2.

“I think it can be distracting, but everyone around the country has to have those conversations,” Fleck told the Pioneer Press. “I think you can either have them in secrecy or you can actually let them know that it’s, ‘Here we go.’ ”

The Gophers want to be proactive: get starters, key contributors and promising developmental players to quietly, and seamlessly, re-up with Minnesota.

But the cat is already out of the bag.

USA Today reported this week that the transfer market is “super active right now,” according to a general manager of a College Football Playoff contender. Fleck has seen outside forces knocking on the door to his own program.

“You’ve got portal stuff going on right now,” Fleck said coming out of the bye on Oct. 19.  “You’ve got all types of guys and agents reaching out about contracts all things like that.”

Contacting players at other programs is against the rules, according to the NCAA and the College Sports Commission, and Gophers AD Mark Coyle is adamant Minnesota follows them.

Last year, the Gophers had two bye weeks and used the second one in mid-November to work ahead on this year’s roster. With the end of that regular season around the corner, that was a more natural time to talk retention and contracts.

This year, there is only one bye week, so the U decided to try to make the most of it.

“People were starting to get into a rhythm of what we like to do, and we’re getting closer to negotiating or being done,” Fleck said. “I just think it’s just a little harder midseason.”

The Gophers have General Manager Gerrit Chernoff and Director of Player Personnel Marcus Hendrickson — two leaders who do not coach the players — leading the negotiation process with players’ representatives, either agents or family members.

“The two people that are going to be having the conversations with your representation are going to be people who have nothing to do with the game plan,” Fleck said. “So, you’ll never lose the football aspect and dedication from the coaches and you can focus on being a player.”

The Gophers are estimated to be near the bottom of the Big Ten in roster spending, with roughly $20 million this season, according to The Athletic, so they need to try to be creative in how they implement that fund.

Coyle and Fleck meet weekly, and this is a regular topic.

“We’ve got of be very smart in how we allocate our resources,”  Coyle told the Pioneer Press. “… What we look for as we go through Year 2 of (revenue sharing) is how can we allocate our dollars to the right people in the right way?

“We can’t make a short-term decisions because those usually backfire on you; but how can you make the best long-term decision for the student-athlete for your program to maximize the dollars that you have?”

USA Today quoted one agent saying one school “could spend up to $5 million on a quarterback next year.”

Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey doesn’t receive nearly that much, but that agent’s quote shows how prices are expected to rise.

On Fleck’s radio show this week, he was joking about charging admission for fans to see how the U has its three traditional rivalry trophies — Floyd of Rosedale, Little Brown Jug and Paul Bunyan’s Axe — on display for the first time since 1978.

“Another $20 for Drake Lindsey,” Fleck said on KFXN-FM.

He was kidding, but it remains an indication of the current state of play in big-time college football.

The new NCAA eligibility rule outlines five years to play five season, and the Gophers’ current roster includes 11 players considered fifth-year seniors running out of time this season (see chart).

The Gophers will be able to use money spent on those outgoing players for younger players they want back on next year’s team. There also will be a pool of money for the U to use on transfers once the portal opens in January.

The Gophers’ current goal is to get players to sign contracts in the short term; then they can play free, with the “distraction” behind them.

OUT OF TIME

The Gophers’ football roster includes 11 players who will run out of eligibility at season’s end:

Defense: Edge Anthony Smith, linebackers Maverick Baranowski and Joey Gerlach, safety Aidan Gousby.

Offense: Receivers Javon Tracy and Zion Steptoe, running back A.J. Turner, tight end Kaden Helms, linemen Tony Nelson and Ashton Beers.

Specialist: placekicker Luke Drzewiecki.