TCF Bank Stadium is by far superior
http://brickhouse.lib.umn.edu/items/show/458
On page 61 of this scrapbook there is an article that talks about Minnesota's "Next 'U' Stadium." A paragraph of this article states:
"The Memorial stadium from which you viewed Minnesota's 1943 wartime football creation is, as it's name implies, the University's monument to the first world war's dead. But if you sat in one of those distant seats you will admit Memorial stadium I is inadequate to serve modern demands."
People were complaining about Memorial Stadium even back in 1943 and it continued to host Gopher football for another almost 40 years. There were some great games that happened in that place, and people have some great memories, but it was a poorly built, hard to renovate, sadly inadequate venue for Big Ten football ... even back in 1943.
The 27 years of purgatory in the Metrodome, while horrible and without any redeeming value, have brought us quite possibly the most modern and functional stadium in the Big Ten. Once the 30,000 seat expansion is complete (fingers crossed!) it will be the finest stadium in the Big Ten, bar none.
It has all been a natural progression. Memorial Stadium was great, the Metrodome sucked, and based on what we've learned from both we have build something much better in TCF Bank Stadium.