Vikes at TCF in '11?

[station19]

For Vikes Games only as a game day roll-in style bleachers? Might cover it. There should be zero interest in adding seats to our stadium for Gophs games at this time.

I know what you are saying but think of it this way. The only way to significantly increase the Gopher football/athletic budget is to add and fill 10,000 or more seats per game. It would be a third deck and it could be closed until it is needed. If those seats could be added by outside sources(not come out of the athletic budget) it would be a plus to have it ready. Just some thoughts.

 

[WAGopher]

Initially, I thought it was a no brainer that the Dome's roof would be quickly fixed. Most of that reasoning stems from always hearing how many events each year the Metrodome hosted. The Sports Commission used to brag that they had over 300 events each year. Of course the Twins had at least 82 games each year and the Gophers 8. Losing those two tenants still should have left the Dome with over 200 events each year. After looking at the Dome's event calendar, http://www.msfc.com/events.cfm , the only things they have scheduled for the first of next year are twice weekly Dome running, monthly dog day, a Home and Garden Show, a Monster Jam, Twins Fest and Gopher Baseball. And Dome running and Dog Day are most likely no-revenue events, and Gopher Baseball has to be low income at best. From January - May, they only have 62 days with events scheduled.

At what venue do they host the tractor pulls, bmx and monster truck events at?

I would think the roof will get fixed soon, but the future of the dome certainly is not looking good if they can't get some revenue producing events booked there.

 

[WAGopher]

I know what you are saying but think of it this way. The only way to significantly increase the Gopher football/athletic budget is to add and fill 10,000 or more seats per game. It would be a third deck and it could be closed until it is needed. If those seats could be added by outside sources(not come out of the athletic budget) it would be a plus to have it ready. Just some thoughts.

I hadn't heard that idea before, but like it. If the Vikes can help pay for the addition of permanent seating, the Gophers don't have to use them until demand warrants.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

I know what you are saying but think of it this way. The only way to significantly increase the Gopher football/athletic budget is to add and fill 10,000 or more seats per game. It would be a third deck and it could be closed until it is needed. If those seats could be added by outside sources(not come out of the athletic budget) it would be a plus to have it ready. Just some thoughts.

I don't like that idea and I can't see that anybody would go along with it. You wouldn't build a 10k seat addition and then not use it.

 

[GoAUpher]

I know what you are saying but think of it this way. The only way to significantly increase the Gopher football/athletic budget is to add and fill 10,000 or more seats per game. It would be a third deck and it could be closed until it is needed. If those seats could be added by outside sources(not come out of the athletic budget) it would be a plus to have it ready. Just some thoughts.

10K seats on the North side of the stadium is going to look odd and out of place. Don't think its a great reason to say no but it'd bug the crap out of me since TCF currently looks great. That said, do you really think the U wouldn't open those seats up? I can't see it, not with money being money.

An expansion to TCF should only happen when there is more than enough demand to support it. Sure, it'd be great for an outside group to pay for an expansion. But if the U waits until there is significant enough demand then I'm betting they wouldn't have trouble getting the money from donors (seeing as how "significant enough demand will require a Rose Bowl or two).

 

[GoAUpher]

A slightly OT question...Do the Vikings ticket holders who sit in our seats pay extra if their bench seats have a chairback added? Or do they just luck into it?

 

[FishingMN]

Initially, I thought it was a no brainer that the Dome's roof would be quickly fixed. Most of that reasoning stems from always hearing how many events each year the Metrodome hosted. The Sports Commission used to brag that they had over 300 events each year. Of course the Twins had at least 82 games each year and the Gophers 8. Losing those two tenants still should have left the Dome with over 200 events each year. After looking at the Dome's event calendar, http://www.msfc.com/events.cfm , the only things they have scheduled for the first of next year are twice weekly Dome running, monthly dog day, a Home and Garden Show, a Monster Jam, Twins Fest and Gopher Baseball. And Dome running and Dog Day are most likely no-revenue events, and Gopher Baseball has to be low income at best. From January - May, they only have 62 days with events scheduled.

At what venue do they host the tractor pulls, bmx and monster truck events at?

I would think the roof will get fixed soon, but the future of the dome certainly is not looking good if they can't get some revenue producing events booked there.

They must not have all of their events listed on there for 2011 yet.

If the dome isn't fixed it will be a huge blow to college baseball. From February thru March the dome is used almost non-stop by D2, D3, NAIA & NJCC baseball teams in the Midwest. It's not unusual to have 8 games/day going in there. Checking a few schedules I see St. Cloud State has 9 games scheduled there and Minnesota Duluth has 6.

Even some high school teams schedule early season games or scrimmages there. I know Rosemount has played Eden Prairie in a dome game each April for the past 8 or so years.