TCF Bank Stadium

The push for a new on-campus stadium for Golden Gopher football began in the fall of 2000. The university cited poor revenue and lack of a college football atmosphere at the off-campus Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome as their main reasons for wanting to move back on campus.[13][14] A plan for a joint Minnesota Vikings/University of Minnesota football stadium was proposed in 2002, but differences over how the stadium would be designed and managed, as well as state budget constraints, led to the plan's failure.[15] In September 2003 a highly publicized attempt was made by T. Denny Sanford to be the lead donor for the project, but in early 2004 the plan fell through when the two parties were unable to come to an agreement on the financial terms.[16] The university unveiled preliminary stadium drawings and a general plan to seek state money and donations in December 2003. On March 24, 2005, the university and TCF Bank announced a deal that would have the bank contribute $35 million towards the project which would give them naming rights.[17] The deal was given an expiration date of December 31, 2005; time enough for the Minnesota Legislature to provide the bulk of funding needed to make the project a reality.[18]

During the remainder of 2005 the university concentrated on drafting a stadium proposal that would draw the support of state politicians. The final plan proposed that the state of Minnesota would contribute 40% of the stadium cost while the university would raise the remaining 60% on its own. Portions of that 60% were to be funded by the TCF naming rights, while the remainder would come from a $50 per semester student fee, private donations, the sale of 2,840 acres (11.5 km²) of university land in rural Dakota County back to the state, and game day parking revenue.[17] Even though the university proposal drew widespread legislative support, the stadium effort suffered a setback when the 2005 legislative session ended before the stadium bill could be heard.[19] Late in 2005 when it became evident that this would happen, the university and TCF Bank announced that it had extended the naming rights deal to June 30, 2006.[18]

Stadium opener vs. Air Force
on September 12, 2009

Despite the 2005 session having ended with the bill not coming to a vote, the stadium effort did not lose momentum in the legislature and was introduced quickly in the 2006 session. On April 6, 2006, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the stadium bill on a 103–30 vote.[20] The house bill was nearly identical to what the university was proposing and had full university support.[21] However, on May 9, 2006, the Minnesota Senate passed a radically different version of the bill on a 34–32 vote.[22] The Senate version would have removed the TCF naming rights deal, the student fees, and the purchase of the university owned land. The proposed funding that was removed was to be replaced with a statewide tax on sports memorabilia. It also would have required the stadium to be named Veterans Memorial Stadium (similar to the previous on-campus football stadium Memorial Stadium, which was last used in 1981 and demolished in 1992).[11] Governor Tim Pawlenty stated he supported the House version.[23] He signed the bill in May 2006 at the University of Minnesota McNamara Alumni Center.[24]

Even though the differences between the House and Senate bills were major, the details were ironed out and approved on May 19, in a House–Senate conference committee. The naming rights and land sale remained in the bill, as did a scaled down $25 per year student fee. The tax on sports memorabilia as well as the Veterans Memorial Stadium name were voted out. The committee also voted to increase the state contribution to the project to compensate for the smaller student fees.[25] The compromise bill was then approved by both the full house and senate on May 20, and was signed by Governor Tim Pawlenty on May 24.[26][27][28]

Under construction, May 2008

One year later, May 2009

On June 8, 2006, the university announced that it had selected Populous to design the stadium.[29] Populous (then HOK Sport) was one of the three finalists, along with HNTB Architects and Crawford Architects, that made presentations to the university on May 24, 2006. The local firm that worked on the project was Minneapolis-based Architectural Alliance, and M.A. Mortenson Company was the general contractor.[30][31] Schematic designs of the stadium were presented to the public on January 3, 2007.[32]

Infrastructure work at the stadium site began in late June 2006, and a ceremonial groundbreaking took place at the stadium site on September 30, 2006. The beginning of construction on the stadium itself along with the unveiling of the stadium's logo took place on July 11, 2007.[33][34] Site preparation and foundation work continued through the summer and fall of 2007. More than 8,800 tons of steel that make up the stadium's skeleton was put in place between January 28, 2007 – June 28, 2008.[35][36]

The centerpiece of the stadium is the massive scoreboard, designed and built by Daktronics at a cost of $9 million. At 48 by 108 feet (14.6 m × 32.9 m), the HD-X light-emitting diode (LED) video scoreboard is currently the largest in college football-only stadiums,[44] and was the third largest at the time of construction.[45]

The playing surface is FieldTurf, an infilled artificial turf, and the brick wall surrounding the playing field was made possible by an alumni donation of $500,000.[46][47]

Located on the stadium ground level is the Murray Warmath Locker Room, named in honor of the Gophers' national championship winning coach from 1954 to 1971. It is the largest home locker room in college or professional football, and features a block “M” lighting fixture and 120 custom-built cherry-wood lockers.[48] Adjacent to the Murray Warmath Locker Room are other team areas including a fully equipped training room, therapy room, medical exam rooms, an equipment room, custom coaches’ offices and locker rooms, a home media room, private recruiting room, and a training table for dining and nutrition.[48] After a tour of the complex, Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald remarked that, "This has got to be the best locker room in the Big Ten."[48]

County names carved in stone

To recognize that the venue was paid for with taxes statewide and to pay tribute to the support of Minnesota citizens, the names of the state's 87 counties are cast in stone around the perimeter of the first level. Each is engraved in a piece of cast stone that is 16 by 5.3 feet (4.9 m × 1.6 m) and weighs 6,500 pounds (2,900 kg).[49] These panels are contained within the reminiscent Memorial Wall, which forms the external surface of the stadium building. This brick façade perimeter wall with arched portals reflects the heritage of Memorial Stadium's exterior, and a 360° colonnade provides a year-round walkway around the stadium.[50] Displayed on the façade of the stadium's upper deck are panels commemorating the 7 national championships and 18 Big Ten Conference championships won by Minnesota in football, as well as ones distinguishing the five players whose numbers have been retired by the program.[51]

The Minnesota Tribal Nations Plaza encompasses the main western entrance to the stadium and is named in honor of the 11 Native American nations in Minnesota, featuring eleven 18-foot (5.5 m)-tall sky markers: one for each nation.[52] The stadium also incorporates the Veterans Tribute, a memorial dedicated to Minnesota veterans, located in the open end of the horseshoe near the main plaza.[53][54]

Panorama of seating

The first phase of the construction includes approximately 50,805 seats, with the design able to support future expansion of up to 80,000 seats. The 10,000-seat student section is located in the eastern end of the stadium, and the area reserved for the University of Minnesota Marching Band is partitioned from it, situated directly behind the eastern end zone and framed by a backdrop labeled Pride of Minnesota.[55] There are approximately 20,000 seats with permanent chairbacks in the stadium, located between the goal lines in both the upper and lower decks, but all remaining locations have aluminum bench seating with no backs.[56] The stadium also features 1,000 handicap accessible and companion seats, and accessible seating is located throughout the stadium, including in the first row of the first level, the last row of the first level, and the last row of the second level.[57] Premium seating includes 37 private suites, 250 indoor club seats, 1,250 outdoor club seats, and 50 loge boxes, along with access to the exclusive 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) climate-controlled DQ Club Room, which offers luxurious amenities to premium-seat ticket holders.[58][59]

The main concourse is on the second level and wraps around the entire stadium, open to the field of play.[55] Concessions and many of the venue's 113 restrooms are located here.[57]

Located in the southwest corner of the stadium is Goldy's Locker Room, the team store, which spans two floors.[55] The T. Denny Sanford Athletics Hall of Fame was opened in fall of 2010, positioned in the southwest end of the stadium next to Goldy's Locker Room.[60] The more than 5,000-square-foot (460 m²) Hall of Fame is not football specific, rather encompassing all 25 of the University of Minnesota's athletic programs through dramatic imagery, artifacts, and interactive kiosks. Visitors to the Hall of Fame hear a soundscape with some of the great radio calls from Minnesota's play-by-play voices. The space also honors the members of the 'M' Club Hall of Fame with a wall complete with plaques for each inductee. The Hall of Fame housed the Floyd of Rosedale trophy after a win over Iowa in 2010.

The media area is a three-tiered press box with 10 network TV camera positions and seating for 160 members of the media.[61]

The stadium was designed to be capable of supporting future seating expansion to 80,000. The 30,000 seats would be added above the second deck of the stadium from the end of the press boxes across to the northwest end of the venue, wrapping around the remainder of the horseshoe.[55] The auxiliary video display currently adjacent to the easternmost section of the media areas would likely be relocated to atop the new third deck. The University of Minnesota could add all 30,000 seats in a single addition or in increments of 10,000 seats, meeting demand as it is needed (although the duplicated costs of such a plan make it unlikely). If expansion is ever undertaken, it can be completed in about 9 months so that there would be minimal interruption of a football season.[62]

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) agreed to donate $10 million for stadium construction, the largest gift Gopher athletics has ever received. The university matched an additional $2.5 million to create a $5 million endowment for scholarships for Native American and low-income students. The hospitality plaza on the stadium's west side and the scholarship were named to honor the community, and the plaza designed to "... celebrate the history, presence, and cultural contributions of all eleven Native American tribes in Minnesota".[82][83][84] The University received an additional $2 million from the SMSC for construction of the plaza in 2009.[85]

Pride of Minnesota

The stadium replaced Northrop Auditorium as the home of the University of Minnesota Marching Band, providing it with direct access to the stadium field and new storage, rehearsal, locker room, and office facilities. The stadium has been host to the DCI Minnesota[94] Drum & Bugle Corps competition sponsored by Drum Corps International and hosted by Minnesota Brass. The first competition, held on July 18, 2010, was cancelled during the show due to the touchdown of a nearby tornado.[95] In 2011, the competition was won by the Cavaliers,[96] and in 2012 was won by the Blue Devils. The stadium is currently home to the Drum Corps International Minnesota event, taking place in mid-July each year since 2010.[97]

South Wing of the Stadium featuring Goldy's Lockerroom

The university also utilizes the stadium for intramural sports, career fairs, graduation ceremonies,[98] and other special events.

Minnesota State High School League state football and soccer tournaments, concerts, and marching band competitions have all been considered. The Minnesota State High School League's football championship games were played at the stadium in 2014 and 2015.

Minnesota United FC playing at TCF Bank Stadium

TCF Bank Stadium was evaluated as a potential venue for a bid by the United States to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup.[104][105][106] In addition, TCF Bank Stadium was planned as a preliminary soccer venue in the Chicago bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. On August 2, 2014, TCF Bank Stadium hosted a group B match as part of the International Champions Cup between Manchester City FC and Olympiacos.[107] The Ottawa Fury also played Minnesota United FC as part of a double-header. A temporary grass field was laid over the artificial surface for the games. The field was 120 yards by 68 yards. The University of Minnesota women's soccer team continues to play at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.

For Minnesota United FC's first two seasons in Major League Soccer, the club played their home matches at TCF Bank Stadium as they awaited the opening of Allianz Field in St. Paul. The field for Minnesota United FC games are on 120 yd × 70 yd (110 m × 64 m).[108] Per a $1 million agreement with the university, Minnesota United was forced to schedule its matches on separate weekends and not play on weekdays during the school's spring and fall semesters. The club also painted over the permanent markings in the end zones and at midfield for some matches.[109] The provision was influenced by the temporary hosting of the Vikings, which used a labor-intensive process to change out the markings that left the field in worse condition for the Gophers.[110]

Minnesota Vikings colors on TCF Bank Stadium's field

Due to a collapse of the Metrodome's roof, the Minnesota Vikings' Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears was held at the stadium on December 20, 2010, which was the Vikings' first outdoor home game since exactly 29 years before when Metropolitan Stadium was closed.[111] The game ended with the Bears defeating the Vikings, 40−14.[112] With the win, the Bears won the NFC North title and Devin Hester broke the kickoff return for touchdown record. This was Brett Favre's last game in the NFL after he sustained a concussion from being hit by Corey Wootton.[113][114]

The Vikings hosting a game at TCF Bank Stadium against the Rams on November 8, 2015.

The Vikings played the 2014 and 2015 NFL seasons at the stadium during construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, which required the demolition of the Metrodome. TCF Bank Stadium was the smallest stadium in the NFL by seat capacity for those two seasons. The Vikings reportedly paid $2 million for upkeep costs for those seasons.[115] The Vikings also spent $4.5 million to upgrade the facilities to NFL standards, mainly to include heating coils under the turf.[116] The Vikings used the north sideline (opposite the press box) in 2014–15. In early 2016, the Vikings became the first team in NFL history to not only make the playoffs while based in a temporary stadium, but also to host the game in the temporary stadium. [117] In addition, the game also set a Vikings team record for the coldest home game, as well as the third coldest in NFL history at −6 °F (−21 °C) and windchill of −25 °F (−32 °C). [118]

The stadium hosted an outdoor NCAA hockey game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Ohio State Buckeyes on January 17, 2014. The Gophers won 1–0 with 45,021 fans in attendance.[119] It also hosted to its first NHL contest on February 21, 2016 between the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the 2016 NHL Stadium Series. The Wild won 6–1 in front of 50,426 fans.