The Vikings' new HQ in Eagan, Minn., will be "one of the top facilities in the NFL" when it opens next March, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. The TCO Performance Center will be "modern and beautiful and will perhaps inspire awe." It will "have four outdoor fields, one of which is heated." That total "does not include the field in the TCOPC outdoor stadium that will have a capacity of 6,501 spectators." The Vikings "plan to use that to hold Friday night high school games, youth camps and eventually their training camp." Other perks for the football staff "include a permanent draft room." The players will "enjoy a more spacious locker room, a large cafeteria overlooking one of the lakes on the 40-acre Vikings campus and major upgrades to their weight room, training room and more." Vikings co-Owner & President Mark Wilf said, "First and foremost, we’re going to give our players the best possible environment to succeed. ... The facility is going to provide much needed modernization and upgrades that set the pace within the NFL and are critical in recruiting and retaining future players" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/18). In Minneapolis, Sid Hartman writes Wilf and the Vikings staff have been "touting the impressive nature of their new practice facility and team headquarters, and it’s easy to see why." The total project -- which will feature retail shops and other ventures -- "figures to be about 200 acres when completed." The Vikings "won’t say how much their new property will cost," but it is "obvious the Wilf family has made a major investment." Wilf: "We visited all types of facilities -- internationally, college, professional, all different aspects -- and we’ve tried to incorporate the best of all the different places we’ve visited" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/18). See the latest renderings and construction photos on Vikings.com.
