Northfielders tour US Bank Stadium

On Thursday morning, 20 Northfielders toured U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on a bus trip sponsored by FiftyNorth. The group enjoyed the nearly two-hour tour of the $990 million facility designed to resemble a Viking ship.

The tour was led by witty and wisecracking Kenny, who took the group up and down elevators and escalators to see the Vikings impressive locker room and press conference room, the digital wizardry of the electronic control center, several corporate suites and the groundfloor Delta lounge.

The tour ended with a photo of the group huddled on the 50-yard-line of the specially designed astroturf field.

The Vikings played at the Metrodome from 1982 until its closure in 2013. On June 17, 2016, U.S. Bank Stadium was deemed substantially complete by contractor Mortenson Construction, five weeks before the ribbon cutting ceremony and official grand opening on July 22.

Authority to use and occupy the stadium was handed over to the Vikings and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority. The Vikings played their first preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 28; the home opener of the regular season was in week two against the Green Bay Packers on September 18, a 17–14 victory.

It was the first fixed-roof stadium built in the NFL since Ford Field in Detroit, which opened in 2002. In 2018, U.S. Bank Stadium hosted Super Bowl LII won by the Philadelphia Eagles, the ESPN X Games on July 19–22, 2018, and the NCAA Final Four won by the Virginia Cavaliers on April 6–8, 2019.

In August 2023, The Athletic named U.S. Bank Stadium as the “best venue” in the NFL.