Vikings Plan Two-Year Stay at TCF

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Says the Dome will come down in one year. I assume they will heat TCF field prior to 2014 Football season.
 

It's too bad that Zig will be allowed into TCF. The S.O.B. isn't cooperating with amateur baseball including the Gophers. He's also jacking around the County with the roads.

The "People's Stadium" my azz. It's Zig's "Rich Man's Playground!"
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Says the Dome will come down in one year. I assume they will heat TCF field prior to 2014 Football season.
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Agreed. I wonder if they'll have to excavate/add on a room for the pumps and controls? I also wonder if they'll have to replace the turf?
 

It is all about the money if the Vikings change their seating diagram to help out amateur baseball then they are wasting my tax payers money. The Gophers are already got their new stadium if there is a problem they should have put a dome over the field. I wonder how many people attend amateur baseball? I bet it is rare. The fact of the matter is indoor baseball stinks it is meant for the out doors on grass.
 


4four4 said:
It is all about the money if the Vikings change their seating diagram to help out amateur baseball then they are wasting my tax payers money. The Gophers are already got their new stadium if there is a problem they should have put a dome over the field. I wonder how many people attend amateur baseball? I bet it is rare. The fact of the matter is indoor baseball stinks it is meant for the out doors on grass.
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Worrying about how to reconfigure an NFL stadium to accommodate amateur baseball is like worrying about how to reconfigure the Louvre to accommodate a second grade art exhibit.
 

Lakeville Goldy said:
Agreed. I wonder if they'll have to excavate/add on a room for the pumps and controls? I also wonder if they'll have to replace the turf?
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Installing heating coils would require the turf to be completely replaced. It's sets up the U nicely. "Free" heating coils and a new field, so the U can get the latest and greatest version of FieldTurf on the market. Sell recruits the fact that they will be playing on a state of the art field that they would only be able to find at the Pro level.

Just hope they get the timing down of the move. The U could easily host an outdoor hockey game before they need to rip up the turf and eliminate any concern of ruining the field by plopping an artificial sheet of ice on top of it since it will be ripped out anyway. The sooner they figure out the timeline, the better for everyone.
 

4four4 said:
It is all about the money if the Vikings change their seating diagram to help out amateur baseball then they are wasting my tax payers money. The Gophers are already got their new stadium if there is a problem they should have put a dome over the field. I wonder how many people attend amateur baseball? I bet it is rare. The fact of the matter is indoor baseball stinks it is meant for the out doors on grass.
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17 - The number of scheduled Gopher Baseball game at the dome this year.

400 - The number of amateur baseball games at the dome this year.

500, 000,000 - The number of public dollars being spent to build new Viking Stadium
 

4four4 said:
It is all about the money if the Vikings change their seating diagram to help out amateur baseball then they are wasting my tax payers money. The Gophers are already got their new stadium if there is a problem they should have put a dome over the field. I wonder how many people attend amateur baseball? I bet it is rare. The fact of the matter is indoor baseball stinks it is meant for the out doors on grass.
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Really?!? I could also say that the fact of the matter is indoor football stinks and is meant for the outdoors on grass and therefore the Vikings are wasting my tax payer money by including a roof. In fact, any public subsidy for the Rich Man's Playground is a waste of my taxpayer dollars.
 



4four4 said:
It is all about the money if the Vikings change their seating diagram to help out amateur baseball then they are wasting my tax payers money. The Gophers are already got their new stadium if there is a problem they should have put a dome over the field. I wonder how many people attend amateur baseball? I bet it is rare. The fact of the matter is indoor baseball stinks it is meant for the out doors on grass.
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Couple things. The Stadium was not supposed to be a Vikings only facility. The Vikings are the number one tennant but seeing as how they only play home games 10 - 15 times a year that leaves a ton of open dates for the facility to be used for other purposes.

As for putting a dome on the Gopher stadium you do realize that would have added a huge amount of cost to the project that wasn't there and would have been next to impossible for the U to get it done.
 

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
It's too bad that Zig will be allowed into TCF. The S.O.B. isn't cooperating with amateur baseball including the Gophers. He's also jacking around the County with the roads.

The "People's Stadium" my azz. It's Zig's "Rich Man's Playground!"
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An awesome football stadium cannot house baseball. We don't want Metrodome II!!!
 

Lester Bagley was just on KSTP 1500 talking to Dubay. He said he is very confident they are going to reach a compromise solution that will allow the Gophers baseball team and all of the other amateur teams to play on a legitimate baseball field in the new stadium.

He also said the three major issues for the Vikings to play in the Gophers Stadium are (1) heating the field; (2) upgrading concessions; and (3) adding approximately 3,000 temporary seats in the open end of the stadium.
 

OddStack said:
An awesome football stadium cannot house baseball. We don't want Metrodome II!!!
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The Metrodome was built to accommodate MLB. The new stadium only has to be practicle....meaning dimensions and quality of seating.

Without the agreement to include playing baseball, the new awesome football stadium would never have gained approval to build.
 



station19 said:
The Metrodome was built to accommodate MLB. The new stadium only has to be practicle....meaning dimensions and quality of seating.

Without the agreement to include playing baseball, the new awesome football stadium would never have gained approval to build.
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+1
 

Go4Broke said:
Lester Bagley was just on KSTP 1500 talking to Dubay. He said he is very confident they are going to reach a compromise solution that will allow the Gophers baseball team and all of the other amateur teams to play on a legitimate baseball field in the new stadium.

He also said the three major issues for the Vikings to play in the Gophers Stadium are (1) heating the field; (2) upgrading concessions; and (3) adding approximately 3,000 temporary seats in the open end of the stadium.
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Well if they don't the mediator will.
 

station19 said:
The Metrodome was built to accommodate MLB. The new stadium only has to be practicle....meaning dimensions and quality of seating.

Without the agreement to include playing baseball, the new awesome football stadium would never have gained approval to build.
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Exactly. It doesn't have to be perfect for baseball but it does have to be usable. With 350 some open dates a year using the stadium for some baseball games makes a whole lot of sense.
 

I get that people are mad about 'their tax dollars' going to 'Zigy's pockets' (which isn't true, but I digress) and I get that Gopher baseball fans (my boss is one) aren't happy about how the Vikings are going about the plans with the new stadium.

But the REAL money will be gained via the Vikings. And honestly, despite the number of times they will put the stadium to use compared to amateur/NCAA baseball, they'll be the tenant that's bringing the cash. Thus, they SHOULD have the most leverage.

That said, I have no doubt that they'll come to a middle ground that's good enough for all parties.

And I love that they'll be spending 2 years in TheBank. More Viking outdoor football. Which we won't get with the new stadium.
 

People should not act as if the Metrodome was lousy for football fans because baseball was accommodated there. It was lousy for baseball because he sight lines and virtually everything in the dome were built with Vikings football in mind and adapted slightly for the Twins. It was lousy for Gopher football because it was a sterile pro stadium, indoors, and off campus. All the U and the hundreds of other baseball users are asking for here are a couple design adaptations to allow for a playable indoor field. Any architect worth his salt should be able to make it work.

The NCAA baseball season starts this weekend. The Gophers, along with the other high school and college users in the area, need a viable place to play starting in late February or early March. The new stadium makes the most sense to leverage for use more than the 10-13 times a year the Vikings will play there.
 

station19 said:
The Metrodome was built to accommodate MLB. The new stadium only has to be practicle....meaning dimensions and quality of seating.

Without the agreement to include playing baseball, the new awesome football stadium would never have gained approval to build.
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The football field is only 160 feet wide with another 18-20 feet for team boxes. 50 feet is a long way to be from a new, "state of the art" field. That would give 300 feet down a line. That's more than "practical" for amateur baseball; after all, it's only one line. I will argue that it's moderate to poor for football.

I haven't followed this closely as I don't care. I've been a football/baseball guy all my life and was going to see positives no matter if this would get built/Vikings leave or not. If they would've left, I believe we all would get the dominant Gopher Football program we want.
 

year of the gopher said:
People should not act as if the Metrodome was lousy for football fans because baseball was accommodated there. It was lousy for baseball because he sight lines and virtually everything in the dome were built with Vikings football in mind and adapted slightly for the Twins. It was lousy for Gopher football because it was a sterile pro stadium, indoors, and off campus. All the U and the hundreds of other baseball users are asking for here are a couple design adaptations to allow for a playable indoor field. Any architect worth his salt should be able to make it work.

The NCAA baseball season starts this weekend. The Gophers, along with the other high school and college users in the area, need a viable place to play starting in late February or early March. The new stadium makes the most sense to leverage for use more than the 10-13 times a year the Vikings will play there.
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Wrong. High schools start in the middle of March and don't play games until April. High schools mainly play in the Metrodome for the experience factor.
 

OddStack said:
The football field is only 160 feet wide with another 18-20 feet for team boxes. 50 feet is a long way to be from a new, "state of the art" field. That would give 300 feet down a line. That's more than "practical" for amateur baseball; after all, it's only one line. I will argue that it's moderate to poor for football.

I haven't followed this closely as I don't care. I've been a football/baseball guy all my life and was going to see positives no matter if this would get built/Vikings leave or not. If they would've left, I believe we all would get the dominant Gopher Football program we want.
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300 ft down the line is fine, but 300 ft power alley is too short for college and even hs baseball.

What exactly is "moderate to poor for football?"
 

I'm excited for the upgrades to TCF, and really dissapointed the new Vikings stadium will have a roof, but I think I'm in the minority on that.

Do you all wish the 3,000 seats being added to the bank were permanent? What if this Gopher team improves like we hope it does and there is a lot more demand in 2014 and 2015?!
 

nokomismod said:
I'm excited for the upgrades to TCF, and really dissapointed the new Vikings stadium will have a roof, but I think I'm in the minority on that.

Do you all wish the 3,000 seats being added to the bank were permanent? What if this Gopher team improves like we hope it does and there is a lot more demand in 2014 and 2015?!
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Do you think these seats will have backs and do you think any chairback seats will be added? Wonder what other improvements you guys see besides heated and or new playing surface?
 

The 3000 seats will be temporary in the open end of the stadium so I am glad they aren't permanent as the stadium was designed to have that always remain open-ended.
 

RochesterGopher said:
Do you think these seats will have backs and do you think any chairback seats will be added? Wonder what other improvements you guys see besides heated and or new playing surface?
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A QB that can hit an open receiver, wouldn't count on the Vikings though, to get that done.
 

nokomismod said:
I'm excited for the upgrades to TCF, and really dissapointed the new Vikings stadium will have a roof, but I think I'm in the minority on that.

Do you all wish the 3,000 seats being added to the bank were permanent? What if this Gopher team improves like we hope it does and there is a lot more demand in 2014 and 2015?!
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The 3,000 seats will be temporary seats in the open end, below the scoreboard. It will be ugly and tacky for 2 years.

Any permanent expansion for TCF will be up......3rd deck.
 

station19 said:
The 3,000 seats will be temporary seats in the open end, below the scoreboard. It will be ugly and tacky for 2 years.

Any permanent expansion for TCF will be up......3rd deck.
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Thanks for clarifying that. I always assumed that they would fill in the West end to match the East end.
 

station19 said:
The 3,000 seats will be temporary seats in the open end, below the scoreboard. It will be ugly and tacky for 2 years.
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The beer gardens already have "open end, below the scoreboard, ugly and tacky" taken care of.
 

OddStack said:
Wrong. High schools start in the middle of March and don't play games until April. High schools mainly play in the Metrodome for the experience factor.
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+1. The teams that benefit from the dome are all the Colleges in the state. These institutions should build a small dome for their needs. MSHSL only needed dome for Soccer and Football.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
+1. The teams that benefit from the dome are all the Colleges in the state. These institutions should build a small dome for their needs. MSHSL only needed dome for Soccer and Football.
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Small dome and baseball don't really go hand and hand. It isn't like football where all you have to do is account for the height of a punt or kickoff. Not saying it couldn't be done but it would be pretty a pretty expensive proposition and you are dealing with organizations that don't have a ton of funding available for stadiums.
 

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