NFL will look at Vikings hosting Super Bowl, Roger Goodell says

The Minnesota Vikings hope to host a Super Bowl at their new stadium, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will look at the possibility once the stadium is up and running.

Vikings stadium to be designed by longtime fan

With every hurdle cleared and an architectural design firm hired, the Minnesota Vikings are truly ready to begin work on their future $975 million stadium that will replace the Metrodome. HKS Inc. was the company selected to handle the design, and they boast a solid reputation in the world of spots venues. If that doesn't do it for your confidence, perhaps this piece from the Star Tribune will. Mark Williams, a principal with HKS and someone who will be working on the new stadium, is a longtime fan of the Vikings.

Williams, who is from Marshalltown, always made it a point to attend games at the old Bloomington's Metropolitan Stadium and then, of course, the Metrodome. Williams said that the team and the stadium experience is "near and dear" to him:

"I know how much these buildings mean to people. So we take it very seriously. And we know what we do and how we design it will have a huge effect on the success of the building."

Still, even if someone like Williams wasn't on board, the Vikings and their fans are in good hands, regardless. HKS designed Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Indianapolis Colts play, and that behemoth of a stadium over in Dallas where the Cowboys call home. Other than that, they've designed multiple MLB ballparks and minor league stadiums as well. It really does look like the best firm got the contract in this one.

Vikings stadium to have designer by Friday

Vikings fans should know by Friday which firm will design the team's new stadium, if not also what the stadium might look like.

Vikings Stadium: Architect To Be Named Soon

The Minnesota Vikings have been dealing with stadium issues for quite some time, but it seems as though they're pretty close to moving to the next step. That step, for those not in the know, would be selecting the architect they want designing the new stadium, which is expected to be ready for the 2016 season.

The choice of an architect is the most important decision the team will make according to Vikings team president Lester Bagley via the Pioneer Press:

The most important decision the Minnesota Vikings have to make about their new stadium could be selecting the architect, team president Lester Bagley said Thursday, Sept. 20, and the team is expected to do that within the next two weeks.

The Vikings have budgeted $975 million for the project and will rely on the new architect to decide what features are feasible within that budget. The most important feature would seem to be whether or not the new stadium will have a retractable roof.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Could Include Controversial Private Seat Licensing

The use of personal seat licenses (PSLs) has become popular with teams in the NFL as an additional revenue stream, and even the Minnesota Vikings have admitted to the Pioneer Press that they are taking a "hard look" at introducing PSL fees to allow fans to guarantee the rights to specific seat for the new stadium planned to open in 2016.

The mechanics of a PSL are that the team sells the rights to buy season tickets for a particular seat in the stadium, and the PSL rights holder can then either buy season tickets in that spot or sell the license to someone else.

Many NFL teams have started to use PSLs in recent years. The Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, New York Jets, Houston Texans, St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans all use some form of the PSL model.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Could Borrow Some Features From Colts

Those who are curious about the Minnesota Vikings' new stadium design need look no further than the Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium. The Vikings head to Indianapolis on Sunday, so fans will get a good look at what may be coming.

The Vikings plan to borrow heavily from the Indianapolis stadium, reports Charley Walters. Particularly, they like the idea of a retractable side window that overlooks the skyline, and eight-person luxury suites above the end-zones.

The Vikings are exploring the possibility of a retractable roof, which Lucas Oil Stadium also has.

But money could be a factor. The Vikings' budget is around $975 million for the stadium, and Walters estimates that, in today's economy, a stadium like Lucas Oil could cost around $1 billion.

Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl in 2012, and the NCAA men's basketball Final Four in 2010.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Submit Bid To Host 2018 Super Bowl At New Stadium

The Minnesota Vikings have put in a bid to host the 2018 Super Bowl at their new stadium, ESPN reported. The decision on where to hold the 2018 Super Bowl is expected to be made at the NFL's 2014 spring meetings, and the stadium is expected to be completed in time for the 2016 season. "We're determined to bring a Super Bowl to Minnesota," said Lester Bagley, Vikings' vice president of public affairs and stadium development.

NFL policy is generally to hold the Super Bowl at stadiums in warm-weather locations or in domes, and the Vikings' new stadium is expected to have some type of roof. Whether it is retractable or permanent is unknown at this time.
The Vikings last hosted the superbowl in 1992, at the Metrodome.

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Vikings Stadium: Design Firms Showcase Past Work To Campaign For Contract

The Minnesota Vikings have cleared all the necessary hurdles for their stadium to earn its approval, and have spent the last few months working with different architectural firms and other planners to see how the project is actually going to look and come together.

On Thursday, the Vikings hosted an open house at the Metrodome, sponsored by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, where the five architectural firms competing to land the design contract for the stadium showed off their work. According to The Pioneer Press, no renderings of the proposed stadium were featured at the event, with the firms instead displaying past work to wow the viewers.

The proposed renderings weren't released likely because the competing firms don't want their in-progress work seen by the other firms. The report from The Pioneer Press lists the bidders for the design contract, including AECOM, Ewing Cole of Philadelphia, HKS of Dallas, HNTB out of Kansas City and Populous out of Kansas City.

The most notable of those, at least as far as Minnesota is concerned, is Populous, which designed Target Field (home of the Twins), TCF Bank Stadium (home of Minnesota University athletics) and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul (home of the Wild). The other bidders can list the stadiums for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants and Jets, Indianapolis Colts and the future San Francisco 49ers stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., among their work.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Gambling Control Board Approves Funding Mechanism

On Monday, Minnesota gambling regulators unanimously approved the vote to set guidelines for the electronic gambling devices that will aide in offsetting the debt on the new Vikings Stadium. Producers will now be able to begin designing electronic pull-tab devices and linked bingo games for sale by charities.

Via SB Nations Vikings Blog, the Daily Norseman:

For what it's worth, the regulations put forth seem fairly specific, with rules regarding the type of animations and GIFs used by manufacturers in the gaming process to the type of encryption software the games must use.

Reportedly dozens of manufacturers have been waiting for a full release of the standards, and a Las Vegas-based company-Acres 4.0-will lay down the groundwork for their version of the game within a month, following up with a full release within six months.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Retractable Roof In The Works, Says Lester Bagley

The Minnesota Vikings now know that they will indeed have a new stadium. This means it is time for the details to be ironed out.

One rather large detail is whether or not the stadium will have a retractable roof. On Wednesday, Vikings vice president Lester Bagley told Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that the team does want a partially retractable roof in its new home.

We need to make sure this facility works for our fans and our organization. We have to make sure we get everything with a $975 million budget. It's a fixed-roof facility, but if we can cut costs, manage costs, our goal is to have a retractable feature (such as a portion of the roof that can be opened to view downtown). Some retractable feature, we think, is important. That's the one thing we're working on.

Bagley also told Sansevere that the Vikings will look to build a new training facility or improve their existing one "in due time."

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Charities Worried About Increased Taxes

At first, Minnesota based bingo and pulltab charities were hopeful that the new Vikings stadium deal would bring tax relief but now the shoe is on the other foot. In a report by the Star Tribune, charity groups in Minnesota are worried that they may end up having to pay more.

Courtesy of the Star Tribune:

Gambling managers such as Laurie Gluesing of the nonprofit Climb Theater in Inver Grove Heights have crunched the new numbers and are worried. Climb is among roughly 1,200 Minnesota nonprofits being counted on to generate $348 million in taxes to underwrite the state's share of the cost of a new Vikings stadium.

"To reach my same profit level with the new taxes and new higher prize level, I would have to do more than $2 million in gross sales,'' she said. "But can I sell $2 million more in pulltabs?"

However, the Minnesota Department of Revenue is adament that it is far too early to determine how the charities' tax structure will fare. That of course hasn't calmed the nerves of many of the proprietors of the charitable organizations. Ultimately, the new structure is believed to benefit charities that payback high rates for games which is believed to increase gambling and help pay for the stadium.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Minnesota Vikings Stadium: Will New Arena Attract Super Bowl Or Wrestlemania?

The new stadium in Minneapolis, scheduled to be open in time for the 2016 NFL season, will be used for much more than just football.

Vikings Stadium: Stadium Authority To Be Named Soon

Now that the new Minnesota Vikings' Stadium has approved financing, it has to be built. that task will fall to a soon-to-be-appointed will be tasked with completing the near $1 billion project on time and on budget. This committee is expected to be named shortly according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Five appointed members will make up the new Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, holding sway over the massive public investment at the downtown Minneapolis site of the Metrodome. Gov. Mark Dayton and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak have until mid-June to name the members, in a decision Dayton described last week as "the first and very important responsibility" in turning the stadium deal into a 65,000-seat reality.

The group has the unenviable task of sticking to the budget that can have any number of overruns. For example, a snag on environmental sustainability with Target Field led to an unexpected overrun of #3-4 million.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Naming Rights Could Approach $15 Million

Now that the Vikings' stadium bill has been fully approved by the Minnesota City Council, securing a corporate sponsor for the new park becomes the next priority. And according to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press, naming rights for the new digs could be quite steep, and will likely fall in the neighborhood of $15 million per year.

Over the stadium's 30-year lease, a $15 million yearly price tag would amount to exactly $400 million for the organization and owner Zygi Wilf, which is a fairly significant chunk of change. Set to open in 2016, the bill for Minnesota's new stadium won by an all-too-narrow 7-to-6 vote of City Council members on Thursday, signaling the end of an arduous process that nearly killed off the fan base. But with Governor Mark Dayton already promising that a Super Bowl will come to town, naming rights for the Vikings' new home might just turn into a bidding in the near future.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Viking Stadium Update: Minneapolis City Council Fully Approves Stadium Bill

On Friday morning, the Minneapolis City Council officially approved the plan put into place for the construction of the new football stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. This is the final hurdle in the process and the question surrounding the Vikings can now be put to rest; the team has a home and it seems they will be there for a while.

And there it is. City Council votes 7-6 in favor of new stadium. Now let's turn our attention to building this exciting project.

— Jeff Anderson (@andersonj) May 25, 2012

On Thursday night, the group met and held the vote that turned out the 7-6 majority in favor of construction of the new stadium. The meeting on Friday was seen as a formality as the vote on Thursday was the biggest hurdle that needed to be jumped.

Now, everyone's attention can turn to the actual construction process.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Minneapolis City Council Signs Off On Bill

The Minnesota Vikings and their new football stadium still does have a long way to go. There will be fights over every little thing, but the thing being built is now just about a certainty as 1500 ESPN reports that the Minneapolis City Council's Committee of the Whole approved the new stadium by a 7-6 margin.

The 7-6 vote now must be ratified on Friday morning but that is viewed as being a formality after Thursday's vote. The city is going to pay about $150 million of the total cost of the $975 million stadium.

It's really interesting to see that it's passing at 7-6, which seems to be a narrow margin. The bit about it being ratified is described as a formality, when this vote in and of itself was described as a formality by most after the Senate and House passed the stadium bill in their session this spring.

That being said, it's more-than likely that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak had his votes in place, knew he had the majority that was required and didn't see it necessary to get it approved. "An inch or a mile," was clearly the name of the game here, and if it came down to him needing more votes, it's likely he would have got them. At any rate, this is the final hurdle in regards to approval is considered, so anybody who was holding their breath can now exhale.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Minnesota Gambling On E-Gambling

Another vote for the Minnesota Vikings' new stadium is scheduled to take place on Friday and it is expected to yield a favorable return because of the new stadium's capability to hold various events in addition to Vikings games. In other words, the Minnesota City Council sees different ways for the stadium to make money when the Vikings aren't playing there eight weeks out of the year. That's a given.

However, the e-gambling that Minnesota is implementing for bar gambling and hoping will help pay for the stadium is a risk.

Minnesota is betting big that bringing technology to small-dollar bar gambling will draw a surge of new players whose wagers will help build a $975 million football stadium for the Vikings.

But even those involved in the charitable gambling industry question whether the customers and the money will be there when paper pull-tabs and bingo are translated into animated games on portable electronic devices. And legislators were concerned enough to include backup financing in the new stadium law in the form of a sports-themed lottery and a stadium suite tax.

"I'd be shocked if it's successful," said Roger Richter, who oversees gambling for the Burnsville Lions Club, one of the state's top-grossing charitable gambling operations. "I don't think it's going to make the money that everybody thinks it's going to make."

Lawmakers approved the bill for the stadium based on projections for annual tax returns on pull-tabs and bingo, which suggest the dollar signs will double, but that hasn't prevented concerns from arising.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their new stadium, check out The Daily Norseman. More news and info on the NFL can be found at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings New Stadium Could Attract Super Bowl, Minnesota Governor Says

Now that a new stadium for the Vikings is all but assured, the team and city of Minneapolis can start thinking of new ways to use their shiny new building. The obvious first answer, especially considering the team is pushing to get a retractable roof on it, is to host the Super Bowl at some point in the future.

Gov. Mark Dayton has set a goal of getting a Super Bowl into the new stadium at some point, with the most likely dates seeming to be 2020 or 2021 if the stadium opens as planned in the year 2016. That would give the league time to see out the stadium for a few years and decide if the Bowl is right for the new location.

"I worked for (Gov.) Rudy Perpich when he spearheaded getting the Super Bowl here in 1992."

Dayton said he figures the chance of Minnesota getting a second Super Bowl should be "reasonably good. I don't mean within a decade. They (NFL) don't just jump at the chance to go to northern climes. But we'll get one -- I'm very confident."

Minnesota last hosted Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills, 37-24.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their new stadium, check out The Daily Norseman. More news and info on the NFL can be found at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Minneapolis City Council To Vote On Friday

Another day, another vote in regards to the new Minnesota Vikings stadium. The newest bill has passed tons of hurdles to get to the point it's currently at, and it looks like the next one is going to remain a Yes as well.

Friday, the Minneapolis City Council is expected to go to a vote on the bill, with the votes at present looking like they will end 7-6 in favor of it. Though the vote is close, an April vote had the same numbers and there has been little wavering around the council to make any waves. Good news for a bill that's been steaming along so far.

Meg Tuthill of the 10th Ward in particular has been adamant about her support of the new stadium plans, thanks to the stadium's ability to hold plenty of different events in addition to Vikings games:

"The other thing is I have never called this a Vikings stadium. I am not interested in single-use. I am very interested in multiuse. The large national conventions like AA. I know we have two religious organizations, I think the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians, that we're [working with] right now to have them come. I love having the Vikings fans come, but in all honesty, those folks are here for about four hours, the majority of them.

"But our conventions bring in folks for three or four days. Think about that. They're staying in our hotels, renting cars, eating in our restaurants, shopping, enjoying some of the other amenities that we have downtown like the Hennepin Theater District, it just makes economic sense. I'm very interested in that. Then of course there's the monster trucks, the NCAA [Final Four], we're hoping for another Super Bowl. There are other events. This is a stadium that is for multiple uses."

Perhaps the thought of hosting a Super Bowl in Minnesota alone should put the dollar signs in the eyes of the council members.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Minnesota Governor Confident Team Will Host Super Bowl

With the approved proposal for the new Minnesota Vikings stadium only a week old, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton now sets his sights on another lofty goal; bringing the Super Bowl back to Minnesota. Dayton was on the staff of Governor Rudy Perpich who was the individual who spearheaded the effort that awarded Minnesota the rights to host the 1992 Super Bowl, which saw the Washington Redskins defeat the Buffalo Bills, 37-24.

Now, Dayton hopes to use that experience to spearhead an effort of his own. His comments via a report on TwinCities.com:

"Very definitely," Dayton said Thursday evening, May 17, after making an appearance at the Hobey Baker Award Memorial Award banquet in St. Paul. "I will do whatever I possibly can.

He went onto say that obtaining a Super Bowl overnight was not a realistic goal, but that he planned on doing whatever he could to get one.

Dayton said he figures chances of Minnesota getting a second Super Bowl should be "reasonably good. I don't mean within a decade. They (NFL) don't just jump at the chance to go to northern climes. But we'll get one -- I'm very confident."

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Team Interested In Retractable Dome

With the Minnesota Vikings stadium situation largely resolved courtesy of the $975 million deal that was signed into law on Monday, the team is still trying to figure out of the specifics of how they will handle their new home. One of the more interesting developments has been the discussion surrounding the prospects of a possible retractable roof.

The Wilf family wants to make the new stadium a place that can attract a possible Super Bowl (some reports have stated as early as the 2017 event) as well as a possible Major League Soccer team. In addition, they hope to make it a place where the Vikings can play for the next 50 years.

According to a report by Twin Cities.com, if the Wilfs want to have a retractable roof on their stadium, they will have to pay for it out of their own pockets. This appears to be something they are willing to do.

Their comments via TwinCities.com:

Q. So you'll have a retractable roof?

ZW: "Well, I don't know."

MW: "We're going to try to get the maximum number of features within the budgets. ... We're going to want to make it something special. And to the extent retractability can get there, we're going to try to do it."

If the Wilf family and the rest of the Vikings' organization is truly interested in constructing a state-of-the-art facility, it certainly seems like a dome would be an importnat feature to include.

For more analysis on the story, please check out this article from SB Nation's Viking blog, The Daily Norseman.

Vikings Stadium Update: Minnesota Rep. Dean Urdahl Goes Off During Republican Party Meeting, According To Report

Rep. Dean Urdahl lost his cool when discussing the recent passage of the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill, according to the Litchfield Independent Review.

Democrats were generally more supportive of the bill than Republicans, but Urdahl, a Republican, nonetheless voted in favor of the proposal. And he apparently didn't appreciate having to explain himself.

From the Independent Review:

Responding to criticism within the party over his stadium vote, Urdahl turned visibly upset at a Meeker County Republican Party Executive Committee meeting held in Litchfield at the Main Street Cafe.

"Was the Vikings bill the most important thing? No, it wasn't!" Urdahl shouted as about 20 people listened inside a small room at the back of the cafe. "But it was what the people wanted us to do."

While standing, Urdahl slammed his hands on a table as he chastised fellow Republicans for calling Monday's meeting to consider whether to withdraw the party's endorsement for Urdahl. Urdahl told the group that "all the things you cry for" would have been sacrificed if he and other Republicans had failed to pass the stadium bill.

"This was a vote to help preserve our majority," Urdahl said.

The article goes on to say that Urdahl threw a crumpled piece of paper, which contained prepared remarks, at fellow Republican and State Senator Scott Newman.

After passing through state congress last week, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed the stadium bill into law Monday.

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Vikings Stadium Update: Gov. Mark Dayton Puts Pen To Paper On $975 Million Bill

The Minnesota Vikings and their stadium is now officially green-lit. Of course, until the actual stadium is built and operational, there's danger of speaking too soon, given the scope of something this large. Still, there's cause for celebration, as Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed off on the bill that calls for a $975 million stadium in Minneapolis.

Dayton held a special ceremony to put pen to paper, and according to the Associated Press, not everybody at the event was happy with the whole thing - but that's this government at work, right? Detractors did everything they could to get it shut down, but in the end, the state and city's will to keep the team in Minnesota prevailed:

With team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf looking on, Dayton signed the bill to mostly cheers, whistles and chants of `Skol, Vikings,' the NFL team's fight song. However, one protester yelled "Shame on you! Shame on you!" as the governor put pen to paper - underscoring the strong opposition by some critics who said taxpayers shouldn't have to shoulder so much of the cost of the new venue.

Most detractors simply don't want their tax dollars paying for a new stadium. Then again, those people are generally in the crowd of folks who don't really look at the positives of such a deal, but that's a discussion for another time. There were plenty of protesters on hand - some of which had signs.

As it stands, most of the state's portion will come through a form of electronic gambling of sorts, so there is definitely some misinformation out there. Maybe the gamblers were protesting? On a more serious note, it was definitely a momentous occasion for the state of Minnesota. There was plenty of talk that the Vikings would be on their way out (perhaps to the Los Angeles stadium?) if they didn't get a new stadium to replace the Metrodome.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings New Stadium Should Have No Problem Making Money

The problem of getting money to build the new Minnesota Vikings stadium was one of the big talking points in the congress as they argued bill after bill to get one built. Now that the hard part of getting such a bill through has been finished, the Stadium shouldn't have many issues with money in the future.

TwinCities.com estimates that the new stadium should be able to garner at least $30 million a year and possibly even more, which will help with endeavors like building a retractable roof onto the stadium.

One knowledgeable estimate is that the stadium, scheduled to open in 2016, could be worth an annual profit of at least $30 million to the team and perhaps as much as $40 million. That would be about triple the Vikings' estimated annual profit in the Metrodome.

A retractable roof for Wilf's new stadium would cost about $40 million. Plus, it will be surprising if the Vikings don't come up with an aggressive personal seat license plan for more revenue in the new stadium.

A good chunk of the money should come from naming rights, of course. According to the article from TwinCities, Target Inc., the owner of the rights to both the baseball and basketball/hockey stadiums in Minnesota right now, are the most likely group to get the naming rights to the new Vikings Stadium, though US Bank is also in the mix.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their new stadium, check out The Daily Norseman. More news and info on the NFL can be found at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Minnesota Gov. Dayton To Have Signing Ceremony For Bill

After numerous unsuccessful attempts, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton will officially seal the deal on the Minnesota Vikings' new stadium on Monday when he signs the bill into law.

With such a joyous situation, Dayton has already planned a signing ceremony at noon on Monday at the Capitol, as all parties involved continue to breath huge sighs of relief that the $975 million project gained legislative approval this past week. Vikings owners, bill authors, and local business leaders are all expected to be on hand for the ceremony.

The team is expecting to play at neighboring TCF Bank Stadium, home to the Minnesota Gophers, for the 2015 season while the stadium is constructed, but could stick around for two years if there is a developmental snag. The Vikings will reportedly pay the University of Minnesota $250,000 for each game they play at TCF Bank, which is a price tag that could certainly add up pretty quickly. For now, though, fans can relish endlessly in the fact that the Minnesota Vikings are here to stay.

For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. For more NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Minnesota Vikings Stadium News: Wilf Brothers Shooting For 2017 Super Bowl

Now that the Minnesota Vikings are set to get a brand-new state-of-the-art stadium, possibly as soon as 2016, the Wilf Brothers are shooting for even loftier goals in '17 -- the Super Bowl. According to an in-depth interview by Doug Belden of the Pioneer Press, the Wilf Brothers (Mark and Zygi) want the new stadium to have a retractable roof and to be a "destination venue" that could be considered for football's biggest event of the year.

MW: "We're going to try to get the maximum number of features within the budgets. ... We're going to want to make it something special. And to the extent retractability can get there, we're going to try to do it."

Later in the interview, Zygi Wilf elaborated a bit more on the possible design details.

ZW: "Certainly the most updated, high-tech features that new stadiums are providing right now, the ability to have the wireless, we're going to certainly explore all those benefits that can really make this a fan experience."

Both brothers mentioned they will try as hard as they can to keep the "competitive advantage" in favor of the Vikings.

Q. What role does a retractable roof play in that?

ZW: "Well if it's snowing very, very hard, we'll open up the roof," he joked.

However, before the Vikings can play in their new stadium they will need to continue to play in the Metrodome until '14 and then play at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium in '15.

Check out this SB Nation Minnesota story stream for more details on the stadium. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Minnesota Vikings Reach Deal To Play 2015 Season At TCF Bank Stadium; New Stadium Expected To Be Complete By 2016

The Minnesota Vikings reached a deal with the University of Minnesota on Friday to play the 2015 season at TCF Bank Stadium while the Vikings' new facility is under construction. That is anticipated to be the only season the team plays at the Gophers' home field as the the Minneapolis stadium is scheduled to be complete in time for the 2016 season.

According to KFAN, the team will pay a rate of $250,000 per home game while at TCF Bank Stadium. On top of that, the team will split a share of concessions, advertising and sponsorship which could total $3 million.

The Metrodome will still be home through 2014. Work will begin next year, but will not interrupt the Vikings' use of their current stadium until after the 2015 season.

Owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said on Friday that they hope to put in a bid to host the 2017 Super Bowl.

Check out this SB Nation Minnesota story stream for more details on the stadium. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Bill Has One Vote To Go

If you're a Minnesota Vikings fan, it's so close you can taste it. After two straight victories for the latest Vikings Stadium Bill with passing votes in both the Minnesota House and Senate, there's only one hurdle remaining before the celebrations of a Vikings future in Minnesota can begin.

Well, other than Gov. Mark Dayton signing the bill, but everyone knows that he's going to do that with plenty of glee.

No, the last hurdle for the Bill will start immediately after it's signed by Dayton. At that point, the Minneapolis City Council will have 30 days to get seven 'yes' votes for the Bill. At that point, it will be official since no public vote on it will be held.

Fortunately, it looks like the seven votes have already been locked up.

On Thursday, Rybak's slim seven-vote majority on the council appeared to remain firm. Council Member Sandy Colvin Roy, one of the last to support the plan, said she has seen nothing in recent days that would sway her vote.

A decision is likely to be made on May 25, the next time the council meets.

Check out this SB Nation Minnesota story stream for more details on the stadium. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Quotes From Vikings Stadium Press Conference With Governor Dayton

The Vikings and Minnesota governor Mark Dayton held a press conference today to discuss the future of the team after Dayton said he would sign a bill for a new stadium.

Speaking at the press conference, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf praised everyone involved for getting a deal done and then talked about the future ahead.

Zygi: "I want to thank the fans out there, throughout the state and the country for making this happen." #Vikings

— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) May 10, 2012

More Zygi: "We're here to stay, guys." #Vikings

— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) May 10, 2012

The replacement for the Metrodome will cost $975 million to build. The Vikings will be contributing $477 million of that. The hope is that the new stadium will also bring events such as the Super Bowl to Minnesota.

Be sure to stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream for any news on the Vikings' stadium situation. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for more NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: TCF Bank Could Be Used Temporarily

The Minnesota Vikings are very close to having a new stadium built for them considering both the Senate and House have approved the latest bill, leaving Governor Mark Dayton's signature as a requirement to get things moving. Once that happens, however, it's expected to take some time to build -- past the Metrodome lease, at least.

The Vikings apparently have a plan in place for the interim, however, as the Minnesota Golden Gophers have agreed to allow the team to use TCF Bank Stadium if necessary. Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi talked to the Pioneer Press about the agreement.

The University of Minnesota is expected to allow the Vikings to use TCF Bank Stadium for one season if necessary while a new $975 million Vikings stadium is constructed on the Metrodome site

"My understanding is that it's for a year, but I don't know if that's been finalized," Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi said.

Not necessarily homefield, but that might give the Vikings an advantage in the cold-weather months until the new stadium is constructed.

Check out this SB Nation Minnesota story stream for more details on the stadium. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Senate Passes Bill, Governor Dayton's Signature Now Required

The Minnesota Vikings and their stadium situation to this point can only be described with the term "roller coaster." Not only have we seen optimism and pessimism, we've seen both of those things from the same people, sometimes on the same day. It's never been truly clear what the next step is, but things got jump-started when the House approved a $975 million stadium plan.

If that jump-started it, then the Senate just threw it in gear and put the pedal to the metal. The Associated Press is reporting that the Senate voted 36-30 on Thursday to approve the same stadium plan, and it will now go to Governor Mark Dayton for his signature, something that any sane person considers a certainty given just how hard he's been pushing in recent months for a deal to get done.

Sure, some of the earlier delays were solely on Dayton and nobody else - he played hardball with the Vikings on more than one occasion to enforce his preference of the city of Minneapolis - but after eliminating the Arden Hills site from consideration, he's been all for bending over backwards and doing whatever it takes to get the Vikings to remain in Minnesota.

The city of Minneapolis also has a month to consent to all of this, but that also is considered a certainty. The newest bill (the one that's actually passing) includes a $477 million contribution from the Vikings, solidifying the fact that the team wants to remain in Minnesota, given that the number is well above what they claimed they'd pay. The state would be paying $348 million and $150 million would come from Minneapolis.

It came down to the wire, but it looks like things are going to go through as they should at this point. At one point, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell got involved, illustrating to Governor Dayton that the Vikings would likely leave in a season or two if not for a stadium plan sooner rather than later. Who knows if that was what helped things along, but it definitely didn't hurt.

Vikings Stadium Debates Have Taught Valuable Lessons Already

All signs are pointing to the Vikings stadium bill being passed and the team remaining in Minnesota. So what did we learn throughout the process?

Vikings Stadium Update: Team, Owners Have 'Made A Huge Commitment To Minnesota'

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a revised bill approving construction of a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.

The key change to this bill compared to versions past is that the Vikings are expected to pay $477 million of the $975 million total. The original plan called for the Vikings to pay $427 million, but on Monday that number had risen to $532 million.

The $532 million was "unworkable," according to team vice president Lester Bagley.

The $477 million represents a compromise -- one that the Vikings can live with.

From The Associated Press:

"The Vikings and [team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf] have stepped up," said team vice president Lester Bagley. "The Wilfs have stepped up and made a huge commitment to Minnesota and a huge commitment to Vikings fans."

For weeks team executives had insisted they wouldn't up their contribution.

Rep. Morrie Lanning, a Republican who was the stadium's chief advocate in the House, said getting the required votes depended on upping the team contribution.

"We knew we had to drive a hard bargain and we drove a hard bargain," he said....

As it stands now, the $975 million tab would be rounded out by $348 million in state money and $150 million from the city of Minneapolis.

The plan now must be approved by the House and Senate and, finally, by Gov. Mark Dayton. Dayton's approval, however, is considered a mere formality given his staunch support for the stadium.

Check out this SB Nation Minnesota story stream for more details on the stadium. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings' Stadium Bill Clears Minnesota House Of Representatives

The debate was drawn out, not to mention highly contentious, but when the dust settled in the wee hours of Thursday morning in St. Paul, the Minnesota Vikings had cleared yet another hurdle in their quest for a new stadium in Minneapolis.

Just after 3:30 AM Central time, the final vote was taken on the Vikings' stadium bill in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and the measure did wind up passing with a total of 71 "yes" votes and 60 "no" votes. That was just slightly closer than the initial vote on the bill on Monday night, which passed by a final margin of 73 to 58.

Earlier in the day, the bill was being worked on by a conference committee consisting of members of both houses of the Minnesota legislature. The conference committee was responsible for hammering out differences between the two bills, the biggest of which had to do with how much the Vikings would contribute to the project.

The Vikings said that they wanted to keep their contribution at the $427 million that had originally been negotiated. However, the bill that passed the House on Monday upped the team's contribution to a whopping $532 million, while the bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday increased it to $452 million. So, the state expected an increased contribution from the Vikings regardless of the scenario, and that's what happened. During the conference committee proceedings, the Vikings agreed to a final amount of $477 million, essentially splitting the difference between the two bills.

The bill now has just two more votes to get through before it becomes law. The major one will come on Thursday, the final day of the 2012 legislative session that lawmakers can actually vote on and pass things, when the Senate takes up the bill. The bill will be identical to the one that passed the House on Thursday morning, and no amendments will be able to be added to it. The earliest that the Senate will be able to vote on the bill will be approximately 1 PM Central time. . .though if the past few sessions have been any indication, there will be plenty of debate before that happens.

Should the bill clear the Senate, it will be signed by Governor Mark Dayton, and the final step will be the blessing of the Minneapolis City Council. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says he has the votes on the council to approve the measure, so that will hopefully prove to be less of a hurdle than anything the bill has encountered to this point.

Vikings Stadium: Final Bill Has Team Contributing $477 Million

The Vikings are the closest they've ever been to getting their long coveted replacement for the deteriorating Metrodome. On Wednesday evening, after hours of meetings behind closed doors at the State Capitol, details of the final bill, which would still need to pass through the House and Senate and get the Governor's signature, finally emerged:

The reworked bill has the Vikings paying $477 million, a significant cut above the figure team officials had once described as "set in stone." But though the package was tougher, it also is the closest the team has come to winning a replacement for the Metrodome, a 30-year-old facility that the team says has outlived its usefulness. [...]

As revised, the $975 million stadium would draw on $348 million in state money, plus $150 million from the city of Minneapolis. The new stadium would be built on the site of the Metrodome near downtown Minneapolis.

Of course, the Vikings would have to agree to paying almost $50 more than the original bill suggested, but there's no indication that they will not be willing. It's believed that the Minnesota House will debate and vote on the bill overnight.

Be sure to stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream for any news on the Vikings' stadium situation. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for more NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Stadium Conference Committee To Meet At 9 PM

After earlier stating that the House could "likely to possibly" meet on Wednesday night to discuss the most recent stadium proposal bill for the Minnesota Vikings, there is now at least one official meeting that will take place on Wednesday night. The Stadium Conference Committee will meet at 9 pm to discuss all things Vikings' stadium.

Stadium Conference Committee meets at 9 pm TONIGHT in 15 Capitol.

— Jodi Boyne (@jkboyne) May 9, 2012

The meeting will be an open meeting according to DFL representative Terry Morrow and will be broadcast live on Twin Cities Public Television on channel 2.2.

"@tptAlmanac: #Vikings Conference Committee meets at 9 tonight. Watch live on @tpt MN Channel 2.2 #tptalmanac #mnleg #mngop #dfl"

— Mary Lahammer (@mlahammer) May 9, 2012

The House is expected to discuss the stadium but nothing is set in stone, although it appears that there is a strong possibility that it will be addressed.

The #mnleg House is expected to meet at 10 pm and may take up the #Vikings stadium bill, which may not be public until an hour before.

— R. Stassen-Berger (@RachelSB) May 9, 2012

Be sure to stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream for any news on the Vikings' stadium situation. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for more NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: House "Likely To Possibly Take Up Stadium" At 10 PM

As of Wednesday night, it seems that the Minnesota House of Representatives will maybe consider talking about the latest version of the Vikings stadium bill...maybe. As of the time of this post, the House decided to take a recess until 10 pm on Wednesday night prior to "possibly" talking about the stadium proposal.

House calls recess until 10pm Rep Dean says "likely to possibly take up stadium" #vikings #mnleg @tpt #tptalmanac

— Mary Lahammer (@mlahammer) May 9, 2012

Originally, it was assumed that the House and Senate both had a 12-hour waiting rule on proposed bills, but the House utilized Joint Rule 3.01 which states that either House or Senate may suspend the Joint Rules by a vote of two-thirds.

It has been made clear that the House will take it's time while debating the bill and will be sure to address it when they are ready, whether that is Wednesday night or at a later date.

#mnleg House Speaker Zellers said the #Vikings bill will come up when it's ready, could be tonight...or not.

— R. Stassen-Berger (@RachelSB) May 9, 2012

Be sure to stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream for any news on the Vikings' stadium situation. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for more NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Amendment Challenging NFL Blackouts Likely To Be Eliminated

The Minnesota Vikings stadium bill underwent quite a few changes over the past couple of days as it made its way through the House and Senate, but not all of the amendments are expected to stick. Which amendments get thrown out will be decided when the parties meet for a conference committee, but the one regarding the NFL's blackout policy is almost certainly being eliminated.

It isn't easy to change something the NFL implements all over the league, unfortunately, something the amendment's originator acknowledged while talking to the Pioneer Press on Wednesday.

Sen. Roger Chamberlain, R-Lino Lakes, expects his amendment to die when House and Senate lawmakers mesh competing bills in conference committee. But he felt compelled to include it anyway. He said it was "archaic" how the NFL bans home games from being televised in a home team's market if they are not sold out within 72 hours.

It's unfortunate that it'll be thrown out, too, as Chamberlain's reason for including it makes a lot of sense.

"Economic studies have shown that blackouts do not increase game-day attendance and in the end they deprive fans the opportunity from watching a game," Chamberlain said Wednesday, May 9. "If we're going to pay for the team to have a stadium to make money why not take away blackouts, which have no economic effect."

It'll be interesting to see which other amendments make their way into the bill before it reaches the governor's desk considering so much time was spent on them prior to voting on the actual bill.

Be sure to stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream for any news on the Vikings' stadium situation. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for more NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings New Stadium Closer To Reality After Senate Passes Bill

Two days worth of good news is something we haven't seen in a while regarding the Minnesota Vikings and their need for a new stadium. Fortunately for fans of the Vikings, they got a boost in their hopes as the Minnesota Senate followed the House of Representatives' lead and passed a bill authorizing the use of over $500 million from the state for a new Stadium to be built.

There were hours upon hours of debate on the subject in the Senate before the bill was passed, and it got to the point where it looked like they might even be in danger of their 7 a.m. deadline being too soon. In the end, they got their bill though filled with amendments that were different from the House's companion bill.

With time running short in the legislative session, the bills now head to a House-Senate conference committee to resolve the differences. A compromise bill would need a second approval in both chambers before heading to the desk of DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, who has led the charge for a new Vikings stadium to replace the Metrodome.

One of the biggest changes between the two versions was the Senate's bill shifting $25 million of the proposed money spent on the Stadium over to the Vikings from the state. The House's version had $105 million shifted. The Senate also spent a large amount of time pushing for 'user fees' inside the Stadium being used to add to costs rather than the charitable gambling that had previously been in the bill.

Time is running out on the Legislative session, so they'll need to hurry if we want a resolution to the now quickly moving events of the Vikings Stadium drama.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings as their Stadium Issues continue to filter through the local government, head over to The Daily Norseman. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found at sbnation.com/NFL.

Vikings Stadium Bill Update: After Many Hours Of Debate, Senate Vote Coming

The amended Vikings stadium bill passed through the House and on to the Senate in the eleventh hour on Monday night. On Tuesday, there have been nearly 11 hours of debating on the amendments and there are conflicting reports as to whether or not closing remarks have taken place and a vote is near. Whatever may be the case, reporters on the scene are confident a vote is getting closer:

They WILL get it done, however it may be 6:59AM RT @TC__15:What are the odds that this doesnt get resolved by the 7 am deadline?

— Aj Mansour(@AjMansourKFAN) May 9, 2012

AJ Mansour may have been joking, because he is now saying that a final vote may get done within the next hour.

Be sure to stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream for any news on the Vikings' stadium situation. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for more NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Minnesota Vikings Stadium: Senate Debate Continues

After a four-hour delay, the Minnesota state senate is debating the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill. This debate could continue on into the evening as there are more than 50 amendments to the bill according to reports.

Eric Durkee, a Vikings public relations and stadium development employee tweeted this picture of the debate:

#newMNstadium bill being discussed in Senate. Over 50 amendments. twitter.com/durkeee/status…

— Eric Durkee (@durkeee) May 8, 2012

If the bill passes, then the a joint House/Senate committee will have to reconcile the differences between the different versions of the bill before it lands on the governor's desk to sign into law.

One key point raised by stadium supporters is the importance of keeping the Vikings in Minnesota. Some dismiss this idea as a scare tactic, while stadium supporters are legitimately worried about the Vikings long-term stability in Minnesota.

Sen Michel (R): "We don't want the Vikings to leave. We want to take the wheels off this franchise and have them here for our grandkids"

— Jeff Goldberg (@jgoldbergfox9) May 8, 2012

Sen Marty (DFL): "The NFL needs a team here, and frankly that's why they're not going to move"

— Jeff Goldberg (@jgoldbergfox9) May 8, 2012

Those interested in the senate debate can watch it online on the senate's UStream channel.

This SB Nation Minnesota story stream will have updates as they break. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman.

Minnesota Vikings Spokesman Calls New Stadium Bill 'Unworkable'

Minnesota Vikings spokesman Lester Bagley has dubbed the new Vikings stadium bill "unworkable."

Bagley made the comment after the Minnesota House made heavy revisions to the original plan, including a big increase on the amount of money the Vikings are expected to pay.

On Thursday morning, Sports Radio 100.3 tweeted:

Bagley: "We made it very clear that [this amendment] violates a negotiated agreement...that particular provision is unworkable." #Vikings

— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) May 8, 2012

The amendment in question, added to the bill Monday, stipulates that the team must pay an additional $105 million for the stadium, and that naming rights revenue be divvied up between the team and the public .

The Pioneer Press put it thus:

An amendment introduced by Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, passed 97-31. It lowers the state's contribution by $105 million and raises the team's by that amount, and allows the public to share in naming rights revenue, which had been assigned to the team.

The Senate is hearing a different version -- according to the Pioneer Press, it's a significantly different version -- of the bill Tuesday.

This SB Nation Minnesota story stream will have updates as they break. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Kurt Zellers Comments On His Decision To Vote Against Bill

Kurt Zellers, Minnesota's Speaker of the House, has issued a statement about the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill.

The bill passed the Minnesota House on Monday and is expected to be taken up by the Senate on Tuesday.

Zellers, a Republican who is opposed to the bill, had this to say in the wake of the bill's passage in the House:

...While I voted against the bill, I gave my word to my colleagues, stadium supporters and Governor Mark Dayton that, despite my concerns, the bill would receive a fair process....

I will continue to facilitate this process as it moves forward, allowing all parties to resolve differences and -- more importantly -- better protect the interests of Minnesota taxpayers.

As leaders we rely on our word as currency when we build agreements. It is time to refocus attention on Minnesota's broader agenda -- a competitive economy that will foster business development and jobgrowth throughout the state. I respectfully ask Governor Dayton to work collaboratively with Republicansand Democrats to see the bipartisan Tax Relief and Job Creation Act and the infrastructure/bonding billsigned into law in this session.

The bill was approved by a vote of 73-58. Forty Democrats and 33 Republicans voted for it.

While there was excitement about Monday's decision, the new stadium still has hurdles to clear. The House and Senate bills differ significantly, according to the Pioneer Press. What's more, the amendments that made the bill palatable to the House increase the financial burden on the Vikings, which could a setback.

Keep checking out this SB Nation Minnesota stream for more stadium updates. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Bill Passes House, But Deal Far From Sealed, According To Report

The Minnesota House on Monday approved a bill for the Minnesota Vikings new stadium.

The vote was 73-58, with 40 Democrats and 33 Republicans voting in favor of the heavily amended plan.

The stadium proposal will now move to the Minnesota Senate, where it is expected to be taken up Tuesday.

Even after Monday's passage, however, approval of the new stadium is hardly a sure thing. A slew of amendments were tacked on to the bill during Monday's eight-and-a-half -hour marathon session.

The most significant amendment, according to a Pioneer Press article, cut the state's contribution by about 25 percent and stipulated that the naming rights revenue are to be shared between the team and the public.

The Vikings said that the naming provision was "not workable," according to the Pioneer Press.

Also from the Pioneer Press:

The House bill differs significantly from the one in the Senate, and the differences would need to be resolved in conference committee, after which there would be another round of votes in the House and Senate before the bill goes to the governor....

But House passage was still a significant step, and it sets up a potential end-game for a Vikings stadium push that's been under way at least 12 years and engaged in earnest for about the past three.

Republican Rep. Morrie Lanning, the bill's sponsor, warned against squeezing the team too much. The Pioneer Press also quotes an NFL executive who says that last-minute changes could put the deal in peril.

This SB Nation Minnesota story stream will have more on this as news breaks. For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Amended Bill Passes House Vote

After more than six hours of debates and everyone getting in their last words on the latest proposed stadium bill for the Minnesota Vikings, the voting finally started just after 11 p.m. ET. The results are in and it's great news for Vikings fans:

This is obviously positive and worthy of celebrating, but it's just a step forward, as the bill still must pass through the Senate, where the bill will be under the microscope again. The Vikings are urging fans to reach out to their Senate reps to encourage their votes in favor of the latest proposal so the Vikings can get their new stadium and assure their fans they will be remaining in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.

Stay tuned to this storystream for updates on the vote. For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman. For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Minnesota House Continues Debate, Multiple Amendments To Bill Rejected

The Minnesota House of Representatives continues to debate whether or not to approve funding for a new Vikings stadium, and legislators are putting their efforts into trying to shape the final bill to resemble their vision. There are still more than 20 amendments to go, but here are some of the amendments that have come up for a vote so far:

• Prevailing Wage Amendment - Would boost union work, regulating the labor used in building the stadium. The amendment failed.
• Amendment requiring free local TV for games - If Minnesotans are going to pay for the stadium, they ought to get something for their money. The amendment failed.
• Amendment to remove electronic pull tabs as funding source - Gambling is bad, and making people play touchscreen video games while they're drinking is just mean.
• Amendment preventing the state from using same engineering firm responsible for 35W bridge. - Football has enough controversy at the moment. The amendment was withdrawn.
• Carbon Neutral Amendment - The stadium is intended to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, but some reps needed more assurance that football and the earth could get along. The amendment failed.
• Amendment to expand availability of fireworks and earmark the tax revenue for the stadium - Everyone likes fireworks, everyone except for a majority of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The amendment failed.
• Right to Work Amendment - Would reduce union work, applying Right to Work rules to the construction of the stadium. The amendment failed, and drew enough laughter from the room that the sponsor admonished the crowd and noted that it was not the time for laughter.
• Amendment proposing that two tickets to every game be raffled off - The amendment passed.

Vikings Stadium: NFL Unhappy With Amendment To Bill

The Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill is going through the legislator on Monday, which is sort of goods considering it has actually reached this point. What isn't good news, however, is that the amendments being made to the bill are ruffling some feathers.

The NFL is apparently unhappy with the amendments made earlier Monday, according to the Pioneer Press.

Eric Grubman, the NFL's executive vice president of venture and business operations, cautioned Monday that amending the bill to require the Vikings to pay more or use sports gambling to help finance the state's contribution are deal breakers as far as the NFL is concerned.

"After months of negotiation and compromise and the building of a legislative coalition, albeit a fragile one, any meaningful change of the bill drastically changes the probability of success," Grubman told the Pioneer Press. "You can't change the deal at the last minute."

If the bill makes it through and then the NFL has issues, where do we go?

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Minnesota Vikings Stadium Update: One Amendment Asks For A Super Bowl

There's quite a bit going on in relation to the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill Monday as legislators try to figure out exactly what they want to do in regard to the team's future. It might not be pretty, either, as they go through all sorts of amendments that seem to be more confusing than helpful.

One of the amendments on the docket, as discovered by the Star Tribune's Rachel Stassen-Berger, would guarantee that the Vikings get to host a Super Bowl if they build a new stadium. The actual wording is included below, via the legislature's website.

(a) As a condition of building a stadium pursuant to this act, the authority shall enter into an agreement with the National Football League that would establish that the new stadium shall be the host site of an NFL Super Bowl no later than the third NFL season following completion of the stadium.

(b) The penalty for breach of this agreement shall be a surcharge on rent in the lease or use agreement under section 473J.15, subdivisions 3 and 4, equal to three times the rent paid for the remainder of the term of the lease or use agreement, or until the stadium hosts a Super Bowl."

That would be interesting if it makes it through, won't it?

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium: Bill Amended On Monday Afternoon To Reduce State Contributions

The Minnesota Vikings stadium stuff is expected to come to a resolution at some point Monday during the legislative session, though a specific time has yet to be set. That said, the lawmakers have already begun looking at the bill -- and making changes to it, for better or worse.

An amendment was put through Monday afternoon that will make the team pay over $100 million more for the stadium and, thanks to the friendly folks at the Pioneer Press, the details are included below.

The Vikings stadium bill came up on the House floor and was immediately amended to reduce the state's contribution.

An amendment introduced by Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, passed 97-31. It lowers the state's contribution by $105 million and raises the team's by that amount, and allows the public to share in naming rights revenue, which had been assigned to the team.

Reasoning for the amendment was made by a member of the legislature out of St. Cloud.

King Banaian, R-St. Cloud, who includes stadium construction in his economics courses at St. Cloud State University, spoke in favor of the amendment. He said the team is not putting up enough money toward the project.

Of the team's $427 million contribution, $200 million would come from an NFL loan, only about $50 million of which be the responsibility of the owners, Banaian said.

It's tough to tell what impact this amendment will have on things, but we'll find out soon enough.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

VIDEO: Minnesota Vikings Fans Rally At Capitol For New Stadium

Vikings Stadium Update: One Rep To Change Vote To 'Yes' Because Bill Will Create Jobs

Stop us if you've heard this one. Today is a very important day for the potential construction of a new football stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. This is just the latest in a long string of "important days," but we're super serious this time when we tell you that this one is actually important. As already noted, there's a house vote that could wrap-up before this article is even posted or that could run well into the night. It's one vote in a long line of votes, but it's an important milestone nonetheless.

It's hard to tell at this point if it's likely to succeed - the supporters and detractors seem to be equally vocal and equally unshakable, though there is some movement that seems to lean toward the positive side. According to Patrick Kessler on Twitter, Rep. Ryan Winkler will change his vote to a "yes" simply because the Vikings stadium is likely the only job-producing project to come out of the Legislature this session.

Rep. Ryan Winkler changes fr "no" vote on #Vikings stadium to "yes":"Flawed plan for creating jobs...is better than no plan at all."

— Patrick Kessler (@PatKessler) May 7, 2012

Of course, we'd all prefer that people vote for the stadium because they want to keep the Vikings in Minnesota, but that's not how politics work. Maybe the stadium will get pushed through because enough people want that technicality on the Legislature's history. Who knows? At this point, after years of trying, the Vikings will take what they can get.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Bill Queued Up In Minnesota House On Monday

Monday marks a very, very big day for the Minnesota Vikings and their hopes of staying in the state of Minnesota. The latest $1 Billion Stadium Plan will get its chance on the floor of the House of Representatives on Monday, with the future of the team perhaps in the balance.

The debates on the bill will start later in the day, and could extend a good, long while which could push the actual vote very late into the night. With so much vocal support for both sides of the issue, we know that there will be tons of debate thrown around.

A win for the bill in the House on Monday would not guarantee an easy ride through, of course. The bill will still have to go through more processes including having the Senate vote on a separate version of it on a later date. Still, this bill has to start somewhere and if it can pass the House which has had its vocal doubts so far in the process, anything is possible.

As Ted Glover reminds us on twitter, it's not too late to give the Legislature a call if you want to help push for the bill to pass.

Well, it's D-Day for the #Vikings stadium.It's not too late to call or email the Legislature and tell the to vote yes. #mnleg

— Ted Glover (@purplebuckeye) May 7, 2012

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, check out The Daily Norseman. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub.

Vikings' Stadium Vote Could Lead To Biggest Day In Team History, Like It Or Not

After a decade of trying, the Minnesota Vikings will finally have a stadium bill reach the floor of the Minnesota legislature on Monday. One way or another, it will be a historical day.

Vikings Stadium Update: Gov. Mark Dayton Vetoes Tax Plan, Possibly Dooming Stadium Vote

A huge vote for another plan to get the Minnesota Vikings a new stadium is taking place on Monday, but Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton might have dealt it a blow when he struck down a GOP-crafted tax plan on Friday.

As reported by the Star Tribune, the bill was sent to Dayton on Thursday and had tax breaks for businesses but potential use of 'rainy day' money from the state, and Dayton struck it down quickly. Unfortunately for the Vikings, that probably won't sit well with the legislators who essentially told Dayton that the Stadium bill would be looked at a lot more favorably only if their tax bill passed:

The bill casts a shadow over an impending vote on a Minnesota Vikings stadium plan because some lawmakers suggested they would look more favorably on the stadium package if Dayton signed the tax plan.

Of course, we won't know for sure until the actual voting date rolls around, but at this point in the so far long and winding Stadium saga, any semblance of bad news is not a good thing.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman. For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Kurt Zellers, House Speaker, Says He Cannot Support New Bill

The GOP lawmakers in Minnesota have taken their last-minute Vikings stadium plan off the table, while Gov. Mark Dayton has convinced to Republicans in both the House and Senate to agree to a vote on an older proposal, according to Rachel Stassen-Berger and Mike Kaszuba of The Star Tribune.

House Speaker Kurt Zellers said that they will take the vote even though he doesn't know that the plan -- which would use gambling revenue to pay for the state's share -- will pass and he personally "cannot" support it.

While securing a stadium deal has been Dayton's top priority during this legislative session, Republicans are eager to vote on a tax bill that was delayed earlier this week. According to at least one Republican senator, Dayton could help his cause by signing the tax bill into law.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Vote On New Proposal Set For Monday

The Minnesota legislative Republicans have decided on a new plan for financing a stadium for the Vikings, and there will be a vote for that plan on Monday.

On Thursday, House Speaker Kurt Zellers said that Monday's vote will involve another plan that is tied to the state's expansion of gambling. Zellers has said on the record that he opposes the bill, and that he isn't sure if it will pass.

Zellers says not sure if enough votes for #Vikings even though DFL says it will provide half of the "yes" votes. #mnleg

— Patrick Kessler (@PatKessler) May 3, 2012

The Republican legislative leaders dropped a proposal to finance a new $975 million Minnesota Vikings stadium by issuing bonds directly that were tied to state's general treasury.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Revised GOP Plan 'Absolutely Worth Pursuing,' Gov. Says

Nothing should surprise anymore when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings stadium proposal, which seems to have died and come back to life a few times now.

It's no stunner, therefore, that what Gov. Mark Dayton dubbed a "hare-brained scheme" Wednesday morning was, by Wednesday night, "absolutely worth pursuing."

According to The Star Tribune, the latest about-face came when Republican legislators said that borrowing, not gambling, would be the main vehicle to pay for the Vikings' new stadium.

From The Star Tribune:

"We hope this is fruitful," said House Majority Leader Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, after formally presenting the idea to DFL Gov. Mark Dayton. "We're trying to find a solution that the Legislature can agree to."

Two days after the Legislature had hoped to adjourn, a handful of leaders are racing to piece together a new, end-of-session stadium proposal that ditches the much-criticized expansion of charitable gambling for traditional bonding.

According to the article, the new proposal calls for at least $250 million in borrowing. That price tag, however, does not include the price of a roof, which is still unknown. The City of Minneapolis would be on the hook for $150 million for construction costs, while the team would make up the $427 million difference.

A roof is thought to be imperative because, without one, the venue's ability to host year-round events would be limited.

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Vikings Stadium Update: Gov. Mark Dayton, Republican Leaders Clash Over New Plan

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton held a news conference Wednesday at the State Captiol in St. Paul to bash the new Republican plan for the Vikings stadium, according to Doug Beldon of the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

He called the GOP plan "laughable" as well as "extremely, extremely disappointing and profoundly disturbing" and said "to have somebody trying to pretend that they're being serious and sincere in offering this kind of scheme, I just find offensive." He called the plan's unveiling Tuesday "one of the most cynical attempts at political gamesmanship that I've ever seen in my 35 years around here."

The new Republican plan, which GOP leaders previewed Tuesday afternoon and plan to outline in full to Dayton on Wednesday calls for the state to pay for the stadium's infrastructure and include those costs in the state's bonding bill. Republican Rep. John Kriesel, who has pressed forward to pass a stadium bill, expressed disappointment in the governor for bashing the new plan to the media.

"I've never been more disappointed in the governor," Kriesel said. "I expect better."

Kriesel believes Dayton should be amenable to the new plan, considering the original plan did not have the votes to pass.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman.For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Tax Revenue Increases Could Change City Contribution

From the beginning, a new Minnesota Vikings stadium in the city of Minneapolis has called for a hefty chunk of change coming from the city itself to help build the stadium and keep it running. A provision in the latest plan for that new stadium could change the plan's funding from the city to a lot more or a lot less than expected depending on how the local economy does.

Mayor R.T. Rybak's administration has said the city's contribution of local sales taxes to a new stadium on the Metrodome site will amount to approximately $338 million for capital and operations over 30 years, or $675 million when including interest costs. But a provision in the stadium bill raises that figure if the local economy booms.

The city's contribution could reach $890 million if tax revenue grows by 5 percent each year for 30 years, based on a Star Tribune analysis of figures provided by the city's chief financial officer, Kevin Carpenter. In that scenario, the city would also be left with more money to spend on the convention center and economic development.

Conversely, the city's contribution could fall to $592 million if the taxes stay flat.

This could be seen as unfair to the city, being forced to pay tons more of their revenue simply because they've made more money over a period. That's the problem with having an 86 page long bill involved with the stadium, there's bound to be tons of different bits like that complicating the numbers.

If nothing else, the possible increased funding being streamed to a stadium would help prevent any overages on the building costs. And if the economy and taxes stay stagnant over the next couple of years, it would be mostly a moot point.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman.For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub

Vikings Stadium Update: Governor Dayton, Democrats Blast Late Proposal Changes

There's a lot that still needs to be done in order for the Minnesota Vikings to receive their new stadium. Unfortunately, every time there appears to be a couple steps forward there are an equal number of steps back that halts any hope for a proposal to be passed all the way through and out of the courtroom. The latest hang up in negotiations has Governor Dayton and Democrats questioning the GOP and the Vikings about their latest tactics:

On Tuesday, May 1, they proposed a plan that would cap the state's contribution to infrastructure costs only and leave the rest up to the team.

It's a radical change in direction after weeks of hearings - and the expectation of floor votes in the House and Senate - on a bill that would fund a $975 million project with nearly $400 million in state money derived from taxing new forms of charitable gaming.

"After eight months of bipartisan negotiations," said Bob Hume, communications director for Gov. Mark Dayton, "They are in fantasyland if they think this is going to be taken seriously by anyone."

Dayton's concerned with secret negotiations between the Republicans of the House and the Vikings, which supposedly centered around the idea of a roofless stadium that would be funded by tax dollars. Dayton has been by the team's side throughout this process, so losing his trust and support could ultimately be a devastating blow for the Vikings' hopes for a new stadium in Minnesota.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman. For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Proposed Stadium Plan Among Unresolved Issues Impeding Legislative Recess

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton implored state legislators to extend their session in order to tackle outstanding issues, including the proposal to build the Minnesota Vikings a new stadium.

A Star Tribune article said that getting everything done prior to the summer recess will be difficult:

"There is more that needs to be done," Dayton told journalists gathered outside his office. "I encouraged them to stay as long as they need to get all this resolved."...

Legislators recessed for several hours Monday afternoon so leaders could huddle with the governor to see if a deal could be reached. By early evening, leaders emerged to say they could no longer predict when the session might end and that they had made no significant progress toward an overall agreement.

The Star Tribune said that Dayton and Republican legislators have been unable to agree on business tax breaks, a bonding package and, yes, the Vikings' new stadium, which will cost an estimated $975 million.

According to the article, the Legislature's constitutional deadline to adjourn is May 21.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub, or check out SB Nation's YouTube channel:

Vikings Stadium Update: Plan 'Still Breathing', Prolongs Legislative Session

A plan for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is holding up the legislative session, Minn. Gov. Mark Dayton says. Via Tom Pelissero of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities:

Republicans had wanted to finish the legislative session by Monday. But the session doesn't have to adjourn until well into next month, and House Speaker Kurt Zellers said over the weekend he was willing to go past Monday if progress was being made.

The Vikings have asked the state of Minnesota for nearly $400 million and the city of Minneapolis for $150 million to build a new stadium. Dayton has lobbied for the stadium project to stand on its own, but Republican lawmakers want to attach it to a deal that includes a tax bill and statewide construction projects.

If the Vikings cannot come to an agreement on plan soon, the team will likely move to a new city--with Los Angeles being the prime candidate.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman.For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub

Vikings Stadium Update: Legislators Still Stalemated

The Minnesota Vikings are running out of time to get their new stadium approved by the Minnesota legislature. A special weekend session was called on Saturday to discuss several issues facing the legislature, but according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the bill that would approve the new stadium had very little movement:

The nearly $1 billion Vikings stadium plan barely survived its last committee stop Friday night, and Senate Majority Leader David Senjem said he would not bring it to a floor vote without a global agreement on the other issues, potentially dooming the stadium this year.

"We want to get that tax package nailed down before we go ahead with that," the Rochester Republican said. "We've gotten further apart as we've gone through the week. We thought we were close to something, but as we kept talking, they unfolded a bit."

The lack of movement continues to grow the possibility that 2012 may be the final season for the Vikings in Minnesota. Already a 10,000 page Environmental Impact Report has been given to the Los Angeles City Hall that is one of the final steps towards a downtown Los Angeles football stadium being built. The Vikings would be a prime target if L.A. settles its stadium issues.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation’s NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Bill Moves Forward, But Not By Much

The Minnesota Vikings stadium looked like it wasn't going to be happening this year, but then the NFL got involved and Minnesota's government decided that it would do its best to get some sort of resolution. That resolution seems to be coming slowly but surely, with a new twist every day.

The latest happened late Friday night in the Senate, but as this column in the Star Tribune reports, it wasn't easy -- and it might not be pretty in the future, either.

The Senate Taxes Committee voted 7-6 to move the bill ahead, but the Vikings got a vivid preview of how difficult it will be to win final approval for a $1 billion stadium. Some Republicans teamed with DFL stadium opponents during the long, bruising hearing.

Senate Majority Leader David Senjem, R-Rochester, said afterward that the full Senate may vote on the bill Sunday, with a House floor vote coming as early as Saturday. "We've got to soak this up a little bit," Senjem said.

This ought to be interesting.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman. For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub

Vikings Stadium Update: 'Racino' Added To Bill

The Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill is a step closer to the floor of the Senate, but the committee has added a new wrinkle that might complicate it's support -- 'racino':

Racino, which would add slot machines at horse-racing tracks, has been proposed at the Capitol for years but has been blocked by tribal casino interests and anti-gambling groups. It was rejected last month in a Senate committee, but backers predicted it would rise again this session.

The funding it brings is significant. A recent state fiscal note estimated tax revenue generated by racino would be $132 million per year in 2015.

Of course, many are saying that it will have to be taken out before any bill is signed because it will not draw enough political support.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman. For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Senate Republicans Challenge Plan

The Minnesota Vikings public subsidy package is moving forward to potential votes in the House and Senate later this week, but conservative Republicans in the Senate are attempting to halt its progress, according to Mike Kaszuba of The Star Tribune.

Senate Republicans mounted a vigorous challenge to the Minnesota Vikings stadium plan Wednesday, arguing that state taxpayers may ultimately have to pay for the project and that supporting it went against the party’s conservative values.

The public subsidy package to build the $1 billion stadium in downtown Minneapolis came under intense questioning from some of the Senate’s most conservative Republican members, who painted the project’s financing as shaky and the stadium as another example of big government spending.

In addition to the conservative challenge to the bill, Wednesday's was highlighted by the appearance of Vikings Adrian Peterson, John Sullivan and Chad Greenway at the State Capitol. Peterson expressed his support of team owner Zygi Wilf and the stadium plan.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman. For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Stadium Bill One Step From Senate Floor

After some turbulence, it now appears as though the new stadium proposal for the Minnesota Vikings has started to even out (at least for the time being). On Tuesday morning, the Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Committee approved the bill without recommendation and passed it on to the Finance Committee for review on Wednesday.

The bill is only one step away from reaching the Senate floor, which has left many optimistic at the prospects of it passing.

"I would say it's imminent," said Democratic Sen. John Marty of Roseville via Twincities.com. "I think they have the upper hand, and I think they're more likely than not to get their stadium within the week."

The bill has already passed in the House, which leaves the Senate as the final piece to the puzzle. However, the bills' sponsor, Sen. Julie Rosen acknowledges that there is still work to be done.

"We'll take it to conference committee. We'll be working through the weekend, I'm sure," she said.

For now though, it appears as things are moving in the right direction.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub, or check out SB Nation's YouTube channel.

Vikings Stadium Update: Plan Catches Second Wind, Could Face Vote This Week

The Minnesota House and Senate could vote on the Vikings' stadium proposal by Friday, according to the Star Tribune.

Just last week a House committee shot down the stadium bill, prompting pessimism that the bill could get passed during this session. Bill sponsor Morrie Lanning, for instance, said, "Somebody's going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat."

Looks like someone may have found a rabbit.

From the Star Tribune:

The voice vote on the measure that merged the Vikings stadium plan into a bill that would greatly expand charitable gambling appeared to be mixed, making it hard to gauge how much support the plan enjoys among House members.

But the committee action on plans for the nearly $1 billion stadium, which would be built largely with public money, capped a day in which leading Republicans in both the House and Senate outlined a road map that would quickly spin the project through a series of final hearings and on to a vote this week.

According to the Star Tribune, there have been two big changes to the stadium plan in the past week. First, it is more likely that residents of Minneapolis will have a referendum on the issue. Second, financial relief for the Target Center, which is owned by the city, was made part of the plan.

SB Nation Minnesota will have more on this as new breaks.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Minnesota Vikings Stadium: Duh-Pocalypse Now

For more coverage of the Minnesota Vikings, including the stadium drama, be sure to check out The Daily Norseman.

Vikings Stadium Update: Senate Committee Approves Dome Compromise Bill, First Step In Reviving Project

Minnesota political leaders vowed to try again on a bill to fund a new Vikings stadium project after a Friday morning meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Less than 12 hours later, the bill has cleared the first of several hurdles, passing the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee by an 8-6 vote, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The bill that passed on Friday evening was the one developed by Senate Majority Leader Julie Rosen and agreed to by the Governor and Minneapolis officials. Next, it goes to the Committee for Job and Economic Growth. A vote in the House will also be needed.

A similar compromise bill was rejected by a House committee on Monday. The Vikings are playing this season in the Metrodome, but do not have a long term lease agreement. With the 2012 legislative session scheduled to end on May 21, no action on the bill could leave the Vikings in a difficult position, what the league describes as a "stalemate" that would allow owner Zygi Wilf to explore options such as selling the team or moving. Goodell and NFL stadium committee chairman Art Rooney flew to Minnesota on Friday morning urging action this year.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman.For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Legislative Leaders Committed To Plan, According to Gov. Mark Dayton

While the Minnesota Vikings $1 billion stadium bill stagnates on the House floor, Gov. Mark Dayton assured reporters at a press conference Friday that every effort is being made to make the stadium a reality, according to Mike Kaszuba of The Star Tribune.

Zellers did not promise the Vikings stadium public subsidy package would be voted on by the full House before the Legislature adjourned. "We’ll have that answer for you in the next couple of days. Right now, I think it’s a little too early," he said. "Essentially, the bill is dead [but] there’s creative ways around here to make sure that things do continue to move."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stood with Dayton as he addressed reporters. Dayton fielded questions about a potential move for the team if the Vikings are unable to pass the bill and build a new stadium. Via Kaszuba:

Though Dayton had said earlier this week that NFL officials had essentially issued a "warning", he said Friday that Goodell did not initiate any discussion about the Vikings moving to Los Angeles or any other city looking for a NFL franchise.

"One of us – a legislator – brought the subject up," the governor said. "[The NFL] said they would like to have a team in Los Angeles [and] they would like to have it not be the Vikings."

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman.For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Roger Goodell And Art Rooney Meet With Minnesota Legislative Leaders

On Friday morning, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Art Rooney met with Minnesota legislative leaders in the hopes of making progress on moving forward with a new stadium for the Vikings. Goodell hopes to make way on legislative hold ups in order to make the new stadium a possibility.

Goodell says the time has come to pass legislation and move forward on a new stadium.He says there's a "general commitment" to do that.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 20, 2012

According to ProFootballTalk, Rooney wanted to wait until after the draft to address the issue, but commissioner Goodell made it clear that the situation was "urgent" and that it needed to be taken care of immediately. Apparently, the meeting went well as both Goodell and Rooney had positive things to say.

Rooney was quoted by ProFootballTalk as saying, "talks were close to the goal line" with the hopes of progress being made. Goodell made it clear that no threats were currently being made and that everyone involved understood that a new stadium was needed.

Until then, everyone seems to be remaining cautiously optimistic.

The goal remains, Goodell said, to get the situation resolved during the current legislative session.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 20, 2012

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman.For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Roger Goodell, Zygi Wilf's Plane Spotted In Southern California

With the Minnesota Vikings losing ground on a new stadium seemingly every day, the rumors have started up involving the team relocating. Los Angeles has long been seen as ground zero for a new NFL team should any of them move, and reports are starting to come in with news that isn't good on that front for the Vikings.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been in LA talking with their mayor about a range of subjects including, of course, a relocated NFL team. That's not particularly surprising, but the private plane of owner Zygi Wilf showing up in a SoCo airport on the same day is a bit more jarring. The rumors swirling of a movement, the stadium bills going down and Wilf being in Los Angeles are a bad combination when it comes to keeping the Vikings in Minny.

The state of Minnesota has just over a week to revive the bill and get some more movement going on a possible new stadium plan, else they risk losing the team. The state government seems to be content with waiting for 2013 when they can start the cycle anew, but at the rate it's going they might not have a team at all to build it for.

To his credit, Roger Goodell has been working to urge the state along in getting a bill passed ASAP. It's up to guys like Gov. Mark Dayton now to get the train rolling again before the issue is pushed back so far that it's unsolvable.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium issues, head over to The Daily Norseman. For more on the NFL in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Roger Goodell's Presence Could Be Setting Bill Back In Motion

Well, this is certainly ... something. The roller coaster of the Minnesota Vikings and their stadium situation continues, with the latest turn potentially being a good one for those who want the team to stay and get a stadium built sooner rather than later. It was already reported that the NFL was going to put some pressure on the state to get something built - mostly by saying "Hey, these are the cities interested in hosting the Vikings franchise if Minnesota/Minneapolis doesn't get it together."

Now, it's looking like that pressure could be working to an extent. As noted by the Star Tribune, Roger Goodell is in town to meet with various folks connected to the situation - including the Republican and DFL leaders on Friday. It also notes that Art Rooney II, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the chair of the league's stadium committee would also be sitting in on the meetings. That's some pretty heavy brass.

They're not there to threaten the state by definition, but they're definitely there to make some noise. And apaprently, it's working - just a little bit:

In a slight sign of movement, Senate Majority Leader David Senjem said after Dayton's comments Thursday that a Senate panel where the nearly $1 billion Vikings stadium plan has been stalled for weeks would now likely meet Friday to reconsider the legislation.

Senjem's comments came after Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk, the lead DFLer in the Senate, said DFLers on the 14-member panel would agree to put up the majority of the votes needed to pass the Vikings plan in the committee.

If this can get the issue back on the docket, then that's a huge win for the Vikings. The team doesn't want to move, and there's no indication that they definitely will if things don't work out, but Goodell's presence certainly makes things seem a bit more real. Governor Mark Dayton said that it wasn't a threat, but that Goodell was simply saying "this is the way our league operates," - potentially referencing a list of cities where the Vikings could relocate to.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: NFL Adds Pressure With List Of Willing Buyers

As Minnesota's frustrating stadium situation presses on without viable funding, the NFL appears to be prepared to reveal a list of prospective cities to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. Eric Grubman, the NFL's executive vice president of business operations, brought the possibility further into the light on Wednesday, and offered yet another gut punch to fans by pointing out what the not-quite-shot down bill means to the organization.

"This was portrayed as having support and likely to pass as recently as a couple of weeks ago," said Grubman. "So this will come as quite a blow. This is quite a blow.

There are plenty of willing buyers. I think the Wilfs do not want to sell the franchise, but I think there is a point where they probably would be open-minded," he added. "I would not be surprised if [NFL commissioner Roger Goodell] tells the governor, if he asks, what other cities are interested."

While it seems obvious that the Wilfs don't want to sell the team, pretty soon that preference might not matter without proper funding in place. Time, it seems, is ticking away here as bills are continuously shot down. Until something big happens, Minnesota Vikings football could conceivably be on its last legs. Stay tuned with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream for more stadium updates.

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Vikings Stadium Update: Kriesel Open To Earmarking Money From E-Gaming Bill For Building

After the Vikings stadium bill was defeated in House of Representatives on Monday, the bill might be revived by Republican sponsor John Kriesel who hopes to "piggyback" the stadium plan on his electronic gambling bill, according to Doug Beldon of The St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Kriesel's bill, which authorizes electronic pulltab and bingo gambling as well as sports-themed tipboards and provides tax relief for charitable-gambling organizations, is aimed at supporting the charities, Kriesel said.

He described it as "connected to the Vikings stadium bill with a breakaway cord." He said he'd be open at some point to earmarking money from his bill for the stadium project, but he wants the measure to get through Taxes as is.

An estimated $72 million per year in new tax revenue would be generated through the electronic pulltab and bingo games authorized under Kriesel's bill. Half would go to the charities supporting the games, while the other half would go to the state of Minnesota.

Kriesel's hope is, by earmarking money for building the stadium, there will be fewer obstacles to ny future stadium bills. Kriesel's bill is scheduled to be heard Thursday, April 19 in the Taxes committee.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their never ending quest for a new stadium, head over to theDaily Norseman. For more NFL news and information, check out SB Nation's main NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: 'There Is No Next Year' According To Team

The loss in the House of the newest bill in the Minnesota Vikings stadium saga looks to have put another fork in the team's chances to get themselves a new stadium built any time soon.

The Vikings themselves don't seem to think that stopping the quest for a new stadium is in the cards though, no matter how many bills they have to help shuffle through the state government until they get a winner. TwinCities.com reports that they don't believe that they can wait another year.

As Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders tried to hand each other responsibility for the fate of the Vikings stadium bill Tuesday, April 17, the day after a major defeat in a House committee, Dayton raised the possibility that a new football stadium might have to wait till next year.

To which a team official responded: "There is no next year."

With rumors continually swirling of the Vikings being a favorite team to move away from their home city, perhaps to Los Angeles who has been clamoring for a third chance at an NFL team recently, no decision before this next season could be seen as an action in and of itself. Governor Mark Dayton was livid after the bill failed by a 9-6 vote for that very reason.

"We've got to get a stadium next year or the Vikings will leave," Dayton said. "I mean, it's just as clear as that. We can't have it both ways. We can't not do a new stadium and have the Vikings remain here for very long."

With the way that the bills have been failing left and right recently, it's best to hope that his words aren't prophecy.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their never ending quest for a new stadium, head over to the Daily Norseman. For more NFL news and information, check out SB Nation's main NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: Minnesota Governor Says Team Will Leave If Nothing Happens By Next Year

The Minnesota Vikings might be no more if the team cannot get a stadium before the end 2013. Gov. Mark Dayton said on Tuesday that the team will leave if it doesn't get a deal done in that time frame, according to the Star Tribune.

"We've got to get a stadium next year or the Vikings will leave," Dayton said at a morning news conference, following a meeting with legislative leaders. While he said he holds out some hope of reviving the project this session, he is beginning to think in terms of next year.

His statement comes on the heels of a Monday night vote in the House Government Operations and Elections Committee that went against the project with a 9-6 vote.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their never ending quest for a new stadium, head over to theDaily Norseman. For more NFL news and information, check out SB Nation's main NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Update: After Defeat, Passing Stadium Bill Will Require Pulling 'A Rabbit Out Of A Hat'

The optimism that prervaded the Minnesota Vikings' quest for a new stadium was nowhere to be found Monday, after the stadium bill was defeated by the state House.

According to the Pioneer Press, bill sponsor Morrie Lanning, a Republican from Moorhead, said the bill was unlikely to pass during this session, which is expected to let out before May.

Lanning went on to say that for the bill to pass,

"Somebody's going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat."

His disappointment was echoed by Vikings president Lester Bagley.

....Bagley called the outcome "extremely disappointing" and said "it's a mistake" for people to assume the Vikings and the NFL will continue operating under the status quo.

He said that isn't a threat that the team will leave, but "Minnesota's in control of their destiny.

"We've done everything we've been asked," Bagley said. The question for the state is: "What else would you expect us to do?"

Bagley added that the Vikes will continue to push the proposal until this session lets out.

The stadium plan puts the price tag at $975 million, of which the state would pay $398 million, the team $427 million (with the aid of an NFL loan), and Minneapolis $150 million.

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Vikings Stadium Update: Bill Voted Down

A significant test for the Vikings' new stadium legislature was voted down by the House Government Operations and Elections Committee on Monday night, according to ESPN:

Media reporting from MN legislature that committee has voted down stadium bill. Tough blow. Re-group to come I presume.

— Kevin Seifert (@espn_nfcnblog) April 17, 2012

Vikings fans knew that Monday was going to be a major hurdle for the new proposed plan for a new stadium, but this is arguably a major blow to the future of the Vikings in Minnesota. The bill may be dead this year and the Vikings' ownership's next move might be threatening an actual move elsewhere:

"It's a mistake to think the Vikings and the NFL will stick with the status quo in Minnesota," VP Lester Bagley told Fox9 News.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings and their never ending quest for a new stadium, head over to the Daily Norseman. For more NFL news and information, check out SB Nation's main NFL hub.