Plan Presented To Get TCF Bank Stadium NFL Ready
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The University of Minnesota is getting ready to welcome the Vikings to TCF Bank Stadium, and on Thursday regents were given a breakdown on where $6 million will go to make the college stadium NFL ready.
The details that Vikings and university officials have spent hundreds of hours hammering out were presented the Board of Regents Facilities and Operations Committee.
The first order of business was replacing the field. New turf is part of the deal, and it will be heated.Other parts of the stadium will be heated as well.
"The bathrooms will be winterized, the elevator lobbies will be winterized," said Suzanne Smith with the University of Minnesota.
Stadium entry points and some plumbing will also be winterized to accommodate games in December and January.
Finding places for additional seating was also addressed. More than 1,700 seats will be added to the open end of the stadium to make sure more fans can enjoy Viking's football.
Since some of the eight home games will be televised, NFL replay and camera platforms will be added throughout the stadium.
Right before the committee approved the plan, there were words of caution from one regent about safety of the students in a sea of NFL fans.
In response, Vikings officials said that its fan code of conduct and security forces will help make this temporary move a smooth one.
One thing that is not concrete is alcohol sales. The area where beer is served is slated to be replaced with temporary seating.
As game time approaches, officials say they will decide how to handle beer sales. Hard liquor will likely be confined to fan suites.