Minnesota Vikings To Host Game In London In 2013

An NFL source confirmed on Sunday morning that the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to host a home game at London's Wembley Stadium in September of 2013. ESPN's Adam Schefter said that the formal announcement would be made at Tuesday's owners meetings.

The announcement means that the Vikings will only have seven games at home in what could be their final season at the Metrodome. The team will be playing at the Metrodome during the 2013 season, and could play at either the Dome or TCF Bank Stadium in 2014, depending on the progress of construction of their new stadium. The Vikings will be playing the 2015 season at TCF Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Vikings have been attempting to get into the business of playing "home" games overseas for quite some time, and it makes sense with the team being in a bit of a transition with their stadium situation. An opportunity to have home games in Europe would likely present them with a more profitable opportunity than hosting games at the Metrodome or TCF Bank Stadium.

The Vikings home schedule in 2013 includes games against the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins, the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a team from the NFC South. Their NFC South opponent will be determined by how the Vikings finish in the NFC North. For example, if the Vikings were to win the NFC North division this season, they will host the team that wins the NFC South division. If they finish second in the North, they'll host the team that finishes second in the South, and so forth.