Tag: U.S. Bank Stadium

Minneapolis among candidates for a potential move of NFL Scouting Combine

The football world could end up congregating at U.S. Bank Stadium for the NFL Scouting Combine

Hundreds of NFL draft prospects and thousands of media members have descended on Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s a yearly tradition and has become one of the premier events on the league schedule. Much like the draft in recent years, the NFL combine could be on the move — and its new home could be Minneapolis.

The NFL scouting combine got its start as the National Invitational Camp in 1982 in Tampa, Florida, before moving to New Orleans in 1984, Arizona in 1985 and back to New Orleans in 1986. Indianapolis became the home of the event in 1987, and it has stayed there ever since.

But now the NFL is exploring different locations for the event — and possibly changing the venue year to year, as the league has done with the draft in the past decade.

As reported by Paul Kuharsky, Minneapolis is one of four cities — along with Nashville, Tennessee; Phoenix; and Las Vegas — that were invited by the league to send representatives to the combine to discuss the potential move.

The NFL has a deal with the city of Indianapolis to keep the combine there through 2025, so the earliest the event would be on the move is in 2026. More likely, however, is either 2027 or 2028 as logistics of the move are worked out.

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Vikings to replace artificial turf at U.S. Bank Stadium

The new turf has much better injury data than the current slit turf, which has had some players complaining

According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the Minnesota Vikings will be playing on a new artificial surface at U.S. Bank Stadium next year.

The new turf is a monofilament version called Act Global Xtreme Turf DX and is a version with better injury data than the slit turf the team currently plays on.

The move was approved by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which owns and operates the stadium. The Vikings were a major factor in selecting the winning bid, according to Seifert. They also plan to install the same artificial turf at their practice facility at TCO Performance Center.

The turf will be installed starting in February and be ready for the start of the 2024 season.

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U.S. Bank Stadium ranked as No. 1 venue in NFL

No surprise that U.S. Bank Stadium is the best in the NFL

The home of the Minnesota Vikings, U.S. Bank Stadium, was ranked No. 1 among all 30 NFL stadiums in a survey done by The Athletic.

The survey asked 30 of The Athletic’s NFL writers to name their five best and five worst stadiums in the league. The Athletic did note that every writer hasn’t been to every stadium.

What was most impressive about the ballot was that U.S. Bank Stadium ranked first on half the ballots collected. The stadium also came in first on The Athletic’s previous stadium survey three years ago.

Vikings beat writer Alec Lewis had some great words about the uniqueness of the stadium:

I cannot think of another way to say this: U.S. Bank Stadium feels natural. And for a domed building, that is an incredible feat. Maybe it’s the natural light that drifts in from the front end of the stadium through crystal glass. Or, maybe it’s particular dimensions that make the inside feel right — not like a gigantic warehouse, and not like a claustrophobic cave. The history of the franchise and the Skol chants and the fake snow all contribute to the overall experience. But the stadium, in general, is the perfect representation of what an indoor arena should look and feel like on a Sunday.

If you’ve never been to U.S. Bank Stadium, make plans to go.

Vikings to pay off U.S. Bank Stadium before 2023 season

The Minnesota Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium was built in 2016, and was scheduled to be paid off in 2046.

The Minnesota Vikings will soon pay off U.S. Bank Stadium thanks to a new tax bill signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz earlier this week.

According to Rochelle Olson of the Star Tribune, the new bill will retire $377 million in outstanding bonds on the stadium by the end of June, saving taxpayers $226 million in interest.

The Vikings and other private entities paid about $620 million to build the stadium, which opened in 2016. The state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis committed about $500 million, according to the Star Tribune.

The new proposal will now wipe any debt off the stadium over 20 years early. The bonds on the stadium had an interest rate of 4.25% and were scheduled to be paid off in 2046.

“[The decision]great news and the latest chapter in a success story that has benefited Vikings fans, the City of Minneapolis and the State of Minnesota,” Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley said.”It is a significant accomplishment that the Vikings have been advocating for several years.”

Vikings to hold public celebration of life for Bud Grant on May 21st

The Minnesota Vikings will be holding a public celebration of life for Bud Grant on May 21st at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Minnesota Vikings lost their Hall of Fame head coach Bud Grant earlier this year and they will be having a public celebration of life for him.

According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the celebration of life will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, May 21st at noon. Tickets will be available for free, but need to be reserved.

The press release included an ask for attire.

“In honor of Bud, attendees are welcome to outdoors or team apparel.”

Expect tickets to go fast, as it should be a sellout.

Report: U.S. Bank Stadium needs about $280M in maintenance within 10 years

After opening just six-and-a-half years ago, the home of the Minnesota Vikings already needs a lot of money to cover maintenance costs.

When U.S. Bank Stadium opened nearly seven years ago, the hope was that the $1.1 billion facility wouldn’t need a lot of work early in its existence. That unfortunately does not appear to be the case.

According to a report from the Star Tribune, the home of the Minnesota Vikings will need $280 million worth of upgrades to remain in top condition in the next 10 years with $48 million needed this year.

The question is: Where will the money come from?

“Is there sufficient money to cover these? The answer to that is no,” said Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) Chair Michael Vekich. “That is the work that we have to do collectively with [stadium operator] ASM, the Minnesota Vikings and … the governor and the Legislature.”

Vikings executive vice president Lester Bagley said he isn’t too concerned with these costs.

“These are improvements that are similar to those required on other world-class venues,” Bagley said. “This study will provide information and data that will help inform broader discussions and determine next steps regarding the future of U.S. Bank Stadium.”

Overall, it is really nice to see that they are taking things seriously in keeping up with U.S. Bank Stadium. The cost is something to keep an eye on.

Vikings to host draft party at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 27th

The Minesota Vikings will be hosting an NFL draft party on Thursday, April 27th for the first round.

The Minnesota Vikings will continue their tradition of hosting a draft party for the first round of the NFL draft. In a release from the team’s website, the Vikings will be hosting their draft party during the first round on Thursday, April 27th at 6:00 central time. The cost of the event will be $15 with season ticket holders getting a discount with their cost only being $10.

Both season ticket holders ($150) and the general public ($175) will have the ability to enter the U.S. Bank Draft Lounge. According to the press release, that entry fee will give fans a lot.

  • Access to all on-field activities, bars and concessions
  • Autograph and photo opportunities with current Vikings players and Vikings Legends
  • Private food and beverage options
  • Exclusive access to the Delta Sky360 Club with Live KFAN Draft coverage
  • Early access to U.S. Bank Stadium at 5 p.m. with first access to the Minnesota Vikings Foundation Garage Sale
  • Meet and greet with a current Vikings player
  • Complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages
  • Two complimentary Molson Coors drink tickets (must be 21+ years of age)

There will be a live broadcast from the KFAN and the Vikings Radio Network featuring play by play commentator Paul Allen and color commentator among others in the NFL Draft Lounge.

Tickets can be purchased by season ticket holders on Monday, March 27th and the general public on Wednesday, March 29th via the Vikings Draft Party website.

Vikings have been lucky when it comes to ACL tears.

Despite having a slit turf field, the Vikings don’t have a lot of ACL injuries to show for it

When players suffer ACL injuries in the NFL, we as fans almost become numb to it. Despite strides made in sports medicine and preventative measures, ACL injuries continue to plague the NFL, resulting in extended periods of missed game time and even whole seasons for affected players.

With the high-speed, physically demanding nature of football, the likelihood of ACL injuries occurring is relatively high. Nevertheless, teams and players alike are striving to mitigate the likelihood and severity of such injuries.

The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the luckier teams in the NFL when it comes to ACL injuries. On Tuesday, the ACL Recovery Club on Twitter shared every ACL documented by the NFL since 2013. During that span, the Vikings only had 12, which is tied for the seventh-fewest in the NFL.

Sometimes ACL injuries are unavoidable, but just last season the NFLPA came out and demanded that the NFL bans slit field turfs.

“The slit film playing surface has statistically higher in-game injury rates compared to all other surfaces for each of the following:

  • Non-contact injuries
  • Missed time injuries
  • Lower extremity injuries
  • Foot and ankle injuries”

The Vikings are one of seven teams with slit-field turf in their stadium. The others are the New York Giants, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals.

While the NFLPA is still pushing to change these fields, the NFL has yet to commit to change. Meanwhile, the Vikings better hope that they continue to stay lucky on what is truly a risky field for their players.

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U.S. Bank Stadium ranked one of the ugliest buildings in the world

In a recent survey, U.S Bank Stadium ranks as one of the ugliest buildings in the world

Minnesota Vikings fans love to marvel at the beauty of U.S. Bank Stadium and embrace how wonderful the space is, especially when it comes to watching their favorite team. The rest of the world, however, disagrees. In a recent survey, U.S. Bank Stadium ranked as the 12th ugliest building in the entire world and the seventh ugliest in the US.

A U.S. Bank Stadium spokesperson had the following to say about this ranking:

“The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and ASM Global are proud of U.S. Bank Stadium’s iconic design and the incredible sports and entertainment environment that this state-of-the-art facility provides for our community and our guests”

U.S. Bank Stadium opened its doors in 2016 and was lauded by most fans for its sleek and unique design. In its short time open, U.S. Bank Stadium has hosted many big events such as Super Bowl 52, NCAA basketball’s Final Four and countless big-name concerts.

U.S. Bank could host Chiefs/Bucs on Sunday Night Football

The Vikings home stadium could host a neutral site game this week

When inclement weather comes into play, the National Football League has a history of being flexible to make games work.

Rescheduling games can be incredibly difficult due to teams having different bye weeks and the playoffs being structured the way they are.

Hurricane Ian has started those conversations for Tampa Bay’s Sunday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. If they choose to move the game for safety measures, the game would be played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

The move isn’t one that comes as a big surprise. The NFL moved week one between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers from the Superdome to Jacksonville, FL. The Saints won the game 35-3 and the atmosphere felt like a neutral field.

The official announcement would come later in the week if U.S. Bank Stadium will get to host its first neutral site game since Super Bowl LII.