Venue News: Vikings Reveal Stadium Design; 49ers Secure West Coast's Biggest Naming-Rights Deal
Compiled by Karen Hogan, Associate Editor, Sports Video Group
The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), the Minnesota Vikings, and HKS Sports & Entertainment Group together unveiled the design of the Vikings’ new multi-purpose stadium Monday evening in Minneapolis, a major milestone in getting the $975 million stadium built on time and on budget. The design package will now be submitted to the Minneapolis Stadium Implementation Committee and the City of Minneapolis for review. Described as an authentic structure influenced by its Minnesota location, the new stadium exhibits a bold, progressive design that combines efficient functionality with stunning architecture…
…The Minnesota Vikings will pay a hefty price while they wait for their shiny, new home to be built. The Vikings and the University of Minnesota announced an agreement on Thursday that will allow the NFL team to play all of its home games at the Golden Gophers’ stadium in 2014 and 2015. The contract calls for the Vikings to pay the university $250,000 for every game and an additional $50,000 in concession and advertising revenue. That could add up to as much as $3 million per season above all expenses. The university will also keep all parking revenue and the Vikings will be responsible for paying for upgrades to TCF Bank Stadium that are required, including heating the artificial turf field, winterizing the stadium so that it can be fully operational in November, December and January, and adding seats to increase capacity…
…Get ready for Levi’s Stadium. The San Francisco 49ers have scored the West Coast’s biggest naming-rights deal, announcing Wednesday that legendary San Francisco jeans-maker Levi Strauss will put its name on the team’s new Santa Clara stadium when it opens next year. The company will pay $220.3 million to the city of Santa Clara and the 49ers over 20 years to help pay for the $1.2 billion stadium, and Levi Strauss has the option of extending the deal for another five years for an additional $75 million or so. The total contract, which averages out to about $11 million per year in the first two decades, is believed to be at least the fourth-highest in NFL history and is more than the naming-rights deals scored by the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Raiders, Oakland A’s, Golden State Warriors and San Jose Sharks — combined…
…FIFA has revealed its concern over the construction of six World Cup stadiums ahead of next year’s finals in Brazil. A second test event at Rio’s redeveloped Maracana stadium was recently canceled, heightening fears over the readiness of arenas across the country for this summer’s Confederations Cup. But, while FIFA is content with the Maracana issue will be overcome, the world game’s governing body is closely monitoring the progress of the six other World Cup grounds not being used for the Confederations Cup…
…Wolf Pack fans who have marched into Mackay Stadium every fall the past couple of decades have had just two seating options: either sit on the cold, hard bleachers or schmooze your way into a skybox. But Nevada’s administration, now led by athletic director Doug Knuth, is working on a plan to change that. The Wolf Pack is deep into the process of the first major renovation to Mackay Stadium since 1996, a push called the “Senior Renovation Project,” which Nevada officials have called a “game-changer.” The project, which comes with a forecasted $6 million-$8 million price tag, would add new suites, a state-of-the-art club-seating level and chair-backs in at least five sections to Mackay Stadium, the 48-year-old home to Wolf Pack football. The money would be raised through private fundraising.