U.S. Bank Stadium Needs Massive Blackout Curtains For Final Four

U.S. Bank Stadium needs "massive curtains to block the sunlight" during next year's Final Four, and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority "wants the curtains to be reusable for other events, including concerts," according to Rochelle Olson of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. MSFA Chair Mike Vekich "declined to provide a price range for the project." But he said "it will be expensive." Olson notes U.S. Bank Stadium was "designed to be airy and light." The 19-month-old building "has 200,000 square feet of glass." Then there is the roof -- "half of which is a translucent plastic polymer." All the light sources "must be draped to meet the NCAA specifications." The NCAA "requires lighting to be consistent for the shoot-arounds and the games of all four teams, regardless of time of day." The MSFA’s current budget for '18 building improvements is "projected" to be $7.25M. Vekich said that the blackout drapery "would come from that account" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/1).