A new facility still in the process of being built is the US Bank Stadium that’s slated to open during July of 2016. The old facility, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, was demolished to make way for this new stadium, which will host up to 73,000 people for sports and other major events. The lease with the old facility was considered one of the worst in the NFL, locking the Vikings into an unfavorable situation in terms of generating revenue from home games.

The new stadium has a budget that’s estimated to exceed a billion dollars. The lion’s share, $551 million, is slated to be taken of by the team and private funders. The state of Minnesota is paying $348 million and the city of Minneapolis is pitching in $150 million for construction. U.S. Bank snapped up the naming rights over the next 25 years, signing a deal worth $220 million.

Originally, the owners of the team wanted to create a stadium through an open-air design with a retractable roof. However, due to cost considerations, this plan was scrapped in favor of a closed design. Part of the reason that the closed design was chosen was due to state and local officials wanting to ensure that the Super Bowl and Final Four could be held at the brand new facility.

Minnesota Vikings Stadium

During the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings will be playing their home games at the new college football field recently opened in 2009 for the Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA football team. Last year, the Vikings finished with a respectable home record of 5-3 at TCF Bank Field and over the past five years, the Vikings have gone 22-18, which translates into a .550 winning percentage. On the road, the Vikings have a 16-24 record, proving that they’re more comfortable in the state of Minnesota.

Main owner of the Minnesota Vikings, Zygi Wilf, has been the main driving force behind this new facility, working with the city and the Star Tribune headquarters to create a plan that helps contribute to the development of the adjacent area for more than just the purposes of the Vikings.

Stadium Vitals

Date Opened: July 2016

Construction Cost: $1.061 billion

Architect: HKS, Inc.; Studio Hive, Studio Five and Lawal Scott Erickson Architects Inc.

Capacity Attendance: 73,000

Playing Surface: FieldTurf

Previous Minnesota Vikings Stadiums

Metropolitan Stadium; Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome; TCF Bank Stadium

Other Major Events 

Super Bowl LII

Slated to take place on February 4th of 2018, the 52nd annual Super Bowl will take place at US Bank Stadium, which will have had a couple of years to work out the kink in their brand-new facility. Competition for this event included the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, both of which have already hosted the Super Bowl this decade.

NCAA Final Four

This stadium has already been awarded the Final Four of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament that draws millions of basketball fanatics from around the world every year. In 2014, the committee decided that the 2018 March Madness tourney would lead to Minneapolis.