Audio Several cities competing for the Vikings (story audio) Photos Future home of the Vikings? Improvements would be made Vikings fan in South Dakota View full slideshow (5 images) Your Voice Join the conversation with other MPR listeners in the News Forum.

	E-mail this page			Print this page

Several cities competing for the Vikings
by Cara Hetland, Minnesota Public Radio
October 28, 2003

The future home of the Vikings training camp? This is Howard Wood Field, part of the sports complex in Sioux Falls, S.D. Officials there hope to lure the Vikings across the border for summer training camp. (MPR Photo/Cara Hetland)

The Minnesota Vikings are hunting for a new location for their summer training camp. This is the final week to get the proposals in. Leaders in four cities want to lure the Vikings to their town. Mankato wants the team to stay where its been the last 39 years. In Duluth, the climate is a plus. Sioux Falls will offer a four-star hotel and state-of-the-art facilities. There's a proposal from Fargo too. The deadline is Friday.

Sioux Falls, S.D. — The Vikings want a better deal. The team wants limited expenses for its three-week summer training camp and new opportunities to make money.

"We propose to do things a little differently, from the point of view of allowing the Vikings to run a profitable training camp," says Jeff Pappas, communications director for the city of Duluth.

	Improvements would be made

"They've expressed an interest to us to make their camp as family-friendly as possible. They've already told us we have a superior location. Our efforts, therefore, are generated towards getting the Vikings as much revenue as possible as a major tourist destination."

Each city vying for the training camp says it's been told it has the perfect location.

Pappas won't give out details of Duluth's proposal. Neither will Mankato. Dave Schooff, president and CEO of the Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce, wonders why taxpayers would support upgrades for University of Minnesota, Duluth, when the same improvements have already been done in Mankato.

"Millions of dollars have gone into these facilities with the Vikings in mind. A lot of those improvements were made knowing the Vikings have their summer training camp in Mankato," says Schooff.

	Duluth's stadium

For the past 39 years, the Vikings players stayed in dorm rooms and ate at the school cafeteria during training camp. Several NFL teams are moving to plush hotels and catered meals.

Kelby Krabbenhoft grew up in Mankato and has fond summer memories as a ball boy during training camp.

"Fran Tarkenton -- this is kind of painful -- rifling balls at me. I'd toss him a ball, and when I'd turn to get another he'd rifle it at me and say, 'Ball's wet, boy,'" laughs Krabbenhoft.

But now Kelby Krabbenhoft is a businessman in Sioux Falls and wants to bring his favorite team to South Dakota.

They're building relationships with outstate areas so people will drive, spend the night in Minneapolis, stay in those hotels, eat in those restaurants. - Kelby Krabbenhoft of Sioux Falls

He's only had two weeks to put together a proposal and how to pay for it. While there are many supporters, some elected officials wonder why they should use public money to lure the Minnesota Vikings.

Developments change daily. Initial plans called for a $15 million training complex at a local stadium. Now the proposal costs half that. The Vikings would have a campus with an arena, convention center, hotel and outdoor fields.

Corporate sponsors would pay most of the $1 million operating expenses, with the Vikings picking up 10 percent.

South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds is all for the proposal. In fact, it was his idea. He's offered state economic development money to ease local expenses.

Rounds estimates the camp would bring in $1 million a day.

"What if we underestimated this?" Rounds asks. "Everybody is happy. What if we overestimated this by as much as 50 percent. And instead of the money we thought we were bringing in, we only bring in half of what it is today in new money? It still pays out. It still works and it still brings in a huge amount of name ID to a community that's on the move."

	Dave Schooff

Many Minnesotans wonder why the Vikings would even consider a location outside the state.

Kelby Krabbenhoft says it's simple. Sioux Falls has the highest number of Vikings season ticket holders outside of the Twin Cities. He says this is an opportunity to connect with a new fan base.

"They're building relationships with outstate areas so people will drive, spend the night in Minneapolis, stay in those hotels, eat in those restaurants. And that's where the tax money comes to build a new stadium," Krabbenhoft says.

The Vikings will hear proposals on Friday. They promise a decision by the end of December.

News Headlines

Related Subjects