On Saturday, the San Francisco 49ers announced that the money needed to build a $1 billion stadium in Santa Clara has been accounted for and that the stadium is completely green-lit. The team has been very pro-active in getting this stadium approved, working steadily in the community for the past couple years on the project that has its roots in a five-year old decision to leave the city of San Francisco. Of course, the team will remain the San Francisco 49ers, but the stadium itself will be in Santa Clara, where the team has had its headquarters for some time.
Could the Minnesota Vikings be next? They've been looking for a new stadium for almost a decade at this point. They've got their sights set on the Arden Hills site, but little movement has come in the financing area. The city and state just haven't been cooperating to the levels that Minnesota needs. Things are locked up in multiple hearings, scheduled as far as late 2012.
Maybe the threat of moving is a real possibility. The 49ers made a move to Santa Clara, albeit slight and maintaining their name - but after many dead-locked discussions with the city of San Francisco, their new city was more than receptive. It took only a few public votes and things got done sooner rather than later. If the Vikings can't get things done in Minneapolis - and probably specifically at Arden Hills - then they might be looking to a city more receptive to their needs for a full stadium.