Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome , commonly called the Metrodome , is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis , Minnesota , United States . Opened in 1982 , it replaced Metropolitan Stadium , which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus . The Metrodome is home to the National Football League ' s Minnesota Vikings , and the Big Ten ' s University of Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team . The stadium was also the home of the Minnesota Twins from 1982 to 2009 and the Golden Gophers football team from 1982 to 2008 . The football playing field has been known as Mall of America Field at the Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome since October 2009 . The stadium is the ninth oldest stadium in the National Football League . Locally , it has several nicknames such as : " The Dome " . , " the Thunderdome " , and " The Homer Dome " The stadium has a fiberglass fabric roof that is self - supported by air pressure , and is the second major sports facility to have this feature ( the first being the Pontiac Silverdome ) . The Metrodome is similar in design to BC Place before that stadium was reconfigured with a retractable roof and the former RCA Dome . It was reputedly the inspiration for the Tokyo Dome . History . By the early 1970s , the Minnesota Vikings were unhappy with Metropolitan Stadium ' s relatively small capacity for football ( just under 48 , 500 ) . Before the AFL - NFL merger , the NFL had declared that stadiums smaller than 50 , 000 capacity were not adequate for their needs . The biggest stadium in the area was the University of Minnesota ' s Memorial Stadium , but the Vikings were not willing to be tenants in a college football stadium and demanded a new venue . Supporters of a dome also believed that the Minnesota Twins would benefit from a climate - controlled stadium to insulate the team from harsh Minnesota weather later in the season . The Met would have likely needed replacing in any event , as it was not well maintained . Broken railings and seats could be spotted in the third deck by the early 1970s . Construction success of other domed stadiums , particularly the Pontiac Silverdome near Detroit , paved the way for voters to approve funding for a new stadium . Downtown Minneapolis was beginning a revitalization program , and the return of professional sports from suburban Bloomington was seen as a major success story . A professional team hadn ' t been based in downtown Minneapolis since the Minneapolis Lakers left for Los Angeles in 1960 . Construction on the Metrodome began on December 20 , 1979 and was funded by a limited hotel - motel and liquor tax , local business donations , and payments established within a special tax district near the stadium site . " Uncovering the Dome " by Amy Klobuchar ( now a U . S . Senator ) describes the ten - year effort to build the venue . The stadium was named in memory of former mayor of Minneapolis , U . S . Senator and U . S . Vice President , Hubert Humphrey , who had died in 1978 . The Metrodome cost $ 68 million to build — roughly $ 2 million under budget , a rarity for modern stadiums . It is a somewhat utilitarian facility , though not quite as spartan as Metropolitan Stadium . One stadium official once said that all the Metrodome was designed to do was " get fans in , let ' em see a game , and let ' em go home . " The 1985 MLB All - Star Game , several games of the 1987 and the 1991 World Series , Super Bowl XXVI in 1992 , and the 1998 - 99 NFC Championship all were held at the Metrodome . The NCAA Final Four was held at the Metrodome in 1992 and 2001 . Duke University was the winner on both occasions . The Metrodome has also served as one of the four regional venues for the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship in 1986 , 1989 , 1996 , 2000 , 2003 , 2006 and most recently , 2009 . The dome has also held first and second round games in the NCAA Basketball Tournament in addition to regionals and the Final Four , most recently in 2009 . The Metrodome is the only venue to host a MLB All - Star Game ( 1985 ) , a Super Bowl ( 1992 ) , an NCAA Final Four ( 1992 & 2001 ) , and a World Series ( 1987 & 1991 ) . It has been recognized as one of the loudest domed venues in which to view a game , due in part to the fact that sound is recycled throughout the stadium because of the domed roof . Stadium loudness is a hot sports marketing issue , as the noise lends the home team a home advantage against the visiting team . The Metrodome is the loudest domed NFL stadium . During the 1987 World Series and 1991 World Series , peak decibel levels were measured at 125 and 118 respectively comparable to a jet airliner — both close to the threshold of pain . Seating Capacity . Baseball . 54 , 711 ( 1982 - 1983 ) < br > 55 , 122 ( 1984 - 1985 ) < br > 55 , 244 ( 1986 - 1988 ) < br > 55 , 883 ( 1989 - 1994 ) < br > 56 , 783 ( 1995 - 1997 ) < br > 48 , 678 ( 1998 - 2003 ) < br > 45 , 423 ( 2004 - 2009 ) Basketball . 50 , 000 Features . Since the stadium was built , the economics of sports marketing have changed . Teams are charging higher prices for tickets , and are demanding more amenities , such as bigger clubhouses and locker rooms , more luxury suites , and more concession revenue . To that end , pressure has been applied by team owners , media , and fans to have the State of Minnesota provide newer , better facilities to host the teams . The Metrodome has served its primary purpose , to provide a climate - controlled facility in which to host the three sports tenants in Minnesota with the largest attendance . The indoor venue is particularly welcome in the highly variable climate of Minnesota . The Metrodome was widely thought of as a hitter ' s park , with a low ( 7 ft ) left - field fence ( 343 ft ) that favored right - handed power hitter s , and the higher ( 23 ft ) but closer ( 327 ft ) right - field Baggie that favored left - handed power hitters . Because the roof is very nearly the same color as a baseball , and transmits light , the Metrodome had a far higher error incidence than a normal stadium during day games , so instead of losing a fly ball in the sun , as is common for non - roofed stadiums , fly balls could easily get lost in the " ceiling " . Unlike most parks built during this time , Metrodome ' s baseball configuration had asymmetrical outfield dimensions . It gave up even more home runs before air conditioning was installed in 1983 . Before 1983 , the Dome had been nicknamed " the Sweat Box . " The Metrodome is climate controlled , and has protected the baseball schedule during the entire time it was the venue for the Minnesota Twins . Major League Baseball schedulers had the luxury of being able to count on dates played at Metrodome . Doubleheader games only occurred when purposely scheduled . The last time that happened was when the Twins scheduled a day - night doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals on August 31 , 2007 . The doubleheader was necessitated after an August 2 game vs . Kansas City was postponed one day after the I - 35W Bridge collapse in downtown Minneapolis . The roof . The Metrodome ' s air - supported roof was designed by the inventor of air - supported structures , David H . Geiger , through his New York - based Geiger Berger Associates , and manufactured and installed by Birdair Structures . An air - supported structure supported by positive air pressure , it requires 250 , 000 ft³ / min ( 120 m³ / s ) of air to keep it inflated . The air pressure is supplied by twenty 90 - horsepower fans . The roof is made of two layers : the outer layers are Teflon coated fiberglass and the inner is a proprietary acoustical fabric . By design , the dead air space between the layers insulates the roof ; in winter , warm air is blown into the space between layers to help melt snow that has accumulated on top . At the time it was built , the of fabric made the roof the largest expanse ever done in that manner . The outside Teflon membrane is 1 / 32 of an inch thick and the inner liner of woven fiberglass is 1 / 64th of an inch thick . The entire roof weighs roughly 580 , 000 pounds . It reaches , or about 16 stories , at its highest point . To prevent roof tears like those that occurred in its first years of service , the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission adopted a twofold strategy : When snow accumulation was expected , hot air was pumped into the space between the roof ' s two layers . Workers also climbed on the roof and used steam and high - powered hot - water hoses to melt snow . In addition , before the storm that caused the December 2010 collapse , the inside of the stadium was heated to nearly . To maintain the differential air pressure , spectators usually enter and leave the seating and concourse areas through revolving doors , since the use of regular doors without an airlock would cause significant loss of air pressure . The double - walled construction allows warmed air to circulate beneath the top of the dome , melting accumulated snow . A sophisticated environmental control center in the lower part of the stadium is manned to monitor weather and make adjustments in air distribution to maintain the roof . Because it is unusually low to the playing field , the air - inflated dome occasionally figured into game action . Major League Baseball had specific ground rules for the Metrodome . Any ball which struck the Dome roof , or objects hanging from it , remained in play ; if it landed in foul territory it became a foul ball , if it landed in fair territory it became a fair ball . Any ball which became caught in the roof over fair ground was a ground rule double . That has only happened three times in its history - Dave Kingman for the Oakland Athletics on May 4 , 1984 , University of Minnesota Gophers player George Behr and Corey Koskie in 2004 . The speakers , being closer to the playing surface , were hit more frequently , especially the speakers in foul ground near the infield , which were typically hit several times a season , which posed an extra challenge to infielders trying to catch them . However , beginning with the 2005 season , the ground rules for Twins games were changed such that any batted ball that struck a speaker in foul territory would automatically be called a foul ball , regardless of whether or not it was caught . The roof is high enough that it has never been a concern for events other than baseball . Early roof incidents . Five times in the stadium ' s history , heavy snows or other weather conditions have significantly damaged the roof and in four instances caused it to deflate . Four of the five incidents had occurred within the stadium ' s first five years of operation : On November 19 , 1981 , a rapid accumulation of over a foot of snow caused the roof to collapse , requiring it to be re - inflated . It deflated the following winter on December 30 , 1982 , again because of a tear caused by heavy snow . This was four days before the Vikings played the Dallas Cowboys in the last regular season game of the 1982 NFL season . In the spring following that same winter , on April 14 , 1983 , the Metrodome roof deflated because of a tear caused by a late - season heavy snow , and the scheduled Twins ' game with the California Angels was postponed . On April 26 , 1986 , the Metrodome roof suffered a slight tear because of high winds , causing a nine - minute delay in the bottom of the seventh inning versus the Angels ; however the roof did not deflate . 2010 inspection . Birdair had conducted a regular inspection of the Metrodome roof in April 2010 . Its report to the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission stated that " the outer membrane is in good condition and still holding up well , " and rated the inner liner ' s condition as " fair to poor " . The inspectors also noted that the inner liner of the roof was dirty ( mostly due to emissions from automotive events ) and had some holes in it , advising that the holes be monitored to avoid large tears from enlarging . In addition , Birdair noted some minor areas on the outer membrane that needed repairing , which were done by the time of the Commission ' s July regular meeting . Overall , Birdair noted the membrane was weathering as anticipated and had exceeded its service life of 20 years ; it recommended planning for replacement of the roof fabric , and noted that planning and implementation would take an additional five years and cost $ 12 – $ 15 million . In forming their own conclusion , the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission staff decided that the outer membrane was in very good shape , that the roof continued to have serviceable life , and planned to schedule another testing in four years ; the Commission made no recommendations . 2010 roof incident . A severe winter storm arrived on December 10 – 11 , 2010 with high snow accumulation ( more than seventeen inches ) and strong winds ; those winds made the roof unsafe for the snow removal crew . As the workers were pulled back , the roof was already sagging in the center . On December 12 at about 5 : 00 a . m . , the roof had a catastrophic collapse as three panels tore open . The night before , a Fox Sports crew setting up for an upcoming Vikings game noticed water leaking from the roof and kept their cameras on all night ; those cameras captured the roof tearing and ice and snow falling into the stadium . No one was injured . Most of the roof sagged and came to rest on cable stays . The collapse caused no damage inside the arena aside from a light fixture and some seats . The turf was not damaged ; a drainage system designed for cleaning purposes allowed the field to dry out . On December 15 , 2010 a fourth panel ripped open , sending more snow and ice into the dome . The Vikings and the New York Giants had been scheduled to play a football game on the afternoon of the 12th . The game had already been postponed to Monday night , the 13th , due to concerns of stadium officials . Because of the tears in the roof , the NFL relocated the game to Ford Field in Detroit . The league considered moving that game to the University of Minnesota ' s nearby TCF Bank Stadium , but it had been shut down and winterized for the season and would have needed several days to prepare for a football game . Due to roof repair time estimates , the Vikings December 20 game against the Chicago Bears was moved to TCF Bank Stadium . The final two games for the 2010 Minnesota Vikings season already were scheduled as road games , and the team had already been eliminated from the playoffs . The Gophers ' first baseball game of their 2011 season at the Dome was scheduled for February 5 . However , on December 29 , it was announced that the roof would not be repaired until the spring of 2011 . As a result , the Gophers were forced to cancel scheduled home games in March against Washington State , Hamline , North Dakota State , and Cal State Bakersfield as well as the annual Metrodome Tournament . A second tournament , the Dairy Queen Classic , was moved to Tucson , and a scheduled home series against Cal Poly was moved to Cal Poly . On February 10 , 2011 it was announced that the entire Metrodome roof needed to be replaced at an estimated cost of $ 18 million . In November of 2010 , the University of Minnesota men ' s baseball team had announced plans to play all of their 2011 games at the Metrodome ; however , the roof collapse caused these plans to be abandoned . On February 18 , 2011 , the Gophers announced that all 12 scheduled Big Ten home games in April and May would be played at Target Field , with three non - conference games moved to on - campus Siebert Field . On July 13 , 2011 , it was announced that the roof was repaired and had been inflated that morning . However other construction and repairs were still in progress . The remaining construction and repairs were done by August 1 , 2011 . The field . During its early years of operation , the field at the Metrodome was surfaced with SuperTurf . The surface , also known as SporTurf , was very bouncy — so bouncy , in fact , that Billy Martin once protested a game after seeing a base hit that would normally be a pop single turn into a ground rule double . Baseball and football players alike complained that it was too hard . This surface was upgraded to Astroturf in 1987 , and in 2004 , the sports commission had a newer artificial surface , called FieldTurf , installed . FieldTurf is thought to be a closer approximation to natural grass than Astroturf in its softness , appearance , and feel . A new Sportexe Momentum Turf surface was installed during the summer of 2010 . The sliding pits and pitcher ' s mound used by the Twins and Gophers has been removed . Any future baseball games will see baserunners slide on " grass . " The homeplate area is being kept as it is not " in - play " for football configuration . The original homeplate installed at the dome was memorably dug up after the Twins ' final game and has been installed at Target Field . A new field was installed in summer of 2011 due to the damage from the December 2010 roof collapse . Plexiglas . From 1985 to 1994 , the left - field wall included a six - foot clear Plexiglas screen for a total height of . It was off this Plexiglas wall that Twins player Kirby Puckett jumped to rob Ron Gant of the Atlanta Braves of an extra - base hit during Game 6 of the 1991 World Series ( a game that Puckett would win with an 11th - inning walkoff homer ) - in later years , with the Plexiglas removed , it would have been a potential home run ball . The Baggie . The Metrodome ' s right - field wall was composed of the seven - foot - high ( 2 . 1 m ) fence around the whole outfield and a - high plastic wall extension in right field , known as the " Baggie " , or the " Hefty Bag . " The seats above and behind the Baggie were home run territory ; the Baggie itself was part of the outfield wall . Fenway Park ' s " Green Monster " , a comparable but taller feature , is closer to home plate than the Baggie was , so batters who hit short , high fly balls were not typically helped by it . However , it was an attractive target for left - handed power hitters , and it was not uncommon for upper - deck home run s to be hit to right field . When in a rectangular configuration for football and other small - field events , the Baggie was taken down and the seats behind it extended to form complete lower - deck seating . Stadium usage . Minnesota Vikings football . As the stadium was designed first and foremost for the Minnesota Vikings , they have the fewest problems . As a location and playing field with new turf , it is still a suitable venue for football . The Vikings owners want more luxury suites and better concessions . They have twice rejected a renovation , with the 2001 price tag at $ 269 million . Early fall weather has led to calls for a retractable roof , but climate control is still deemed a necessity for a season that runs through December . The Vikings played their first game at the Metrodome in a preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on August 21 , 1982 . Minnesota won 7 - 3 . The first touchdown in the dome was scored by Joe Senser on an 11 - yard pass from Tommy Kramer . The first regular - season game at the Metrodome was the 1982 opener on September 12 , when the Vikings defeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers , 17 - 10 . Rickey Young scored the first regular - season touchdown in the dome on a 3 - yard run in the 2nd quarter . On January 9 , 1983 , the Vikings defeated the Atlanta Falcons , 30 - 24 , in a 1st - round game that was the first playoff game at the Metrodome . Super Bowl XXVI . NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXVI to Minneapolis during their May 24 , 1989 meeting . The game on January 26 , 1992 was the second Super Bowl to be played in a cold , winter climate city . The first one was Super Bowl XVI on January 24 , 1982 in Pontiac , Michigan , a suburb of Detroit . Indianapolis , Indiana lost in its bid to host the game at the Hoosier Dome , as did Detroit and Seattle , who had also applied . Minnesota Twins baseball . When opened in 1982 , the Metrodome was appreciated for the protection it gave from mosquitoes , and later the weather . Over the years there had been a love - hate relationship with the fans , sportswriters , and stadium . The Minnesota Twins won two World Series championships at the Metrodome . The Twins won the 1987 World Series and 1991 World Series by winning all four games held at the Dome in both seasons . The loud noise , white roof , quick turf , and the right - field wall ( or " Baggie " ) provided a substantial home - field advantage for the Twins . By 2001 , several newer purpose - built Major League Baseball stadiums had been constructed , and the Metrodome was considered to be among the worst venues in Major League Baseball . Only two Twins games at Metrodome were ever postponed . The first was on April 14 , 1983 , when a massive snowstorm prevented the California Angels from getting to Minneapolis . The game would have likely been postponed in any case , however ; that night heavy snow caused part of the roof to collapse . The second was on August 2 , 2007 , the day after the I - 35W Mississippi River Bridge had collapsed a few blocks away from Metrodome . The game scheduled for August 1 was played as scheduled ( about one hour after the bridge had collapsed ) because the team and police officials were concerned about too many fans departing Metrodome at one time , potentially causing conflict with rescue workers . The August 2 ceremonial groundbreaking at the eventual Target Field was also postponed , for the same reason . The Twins played their final scheduled regular season game at Metrodome on October 4 , 2009 , beating the Kansas City Royals , 13 - 4 . After the game , they held their scheduled farewell celebration . Because they ended the day tied with the Detroit Tigers for first place in the American League Central , a one - game playoff between the teams was played there on October 6 , 2009 , with the Twins beating the Tigers 6 - 5 in 12 innings . The division clincher would be the Twins ' last win at Metrodome . The announced crowd was 54 , 088 , setting the regular - season attendance record . The final Twins game at Metrodome was on October 11 , 2009 , when they lost to the New York Yankees 4 - 1 , resulting in three - game sweep in the 2009 American League Division Series . The Twins ' appearance in this series gave Metrodome the distinction of being the first American League stadium to end its Major League Baseball history with post - season play . The only other stadiums whose final games came in the post - season are Atlanta Fulton County Stadium ( 1996 ) , the Houston Astrodome ( 1999 ) and St . Louis ' s Busch Memorial Stadium ( 2005 ) , all of which were home venues for National League teams . Basketball . When configured as a basketball arena , the fans in the nearby bleachers get a suitable view of the court , but the action is difficult to see in the upper decks and is very far away . Concessions are very far away from the temporary infrastructure . Most NBA and major college basketball arenas run to a maximum of 20 , 000 seats . However , the NCAA tournament makes a significant amount of money selling seats for regional and championship games for the Men ' s basketball tournament . Several NCAA tournaments have taken place at the stadium : The Timberwolves used the stadium for its home basketball games during its inaugural season ( 1989 – 90 ) in the NBA , while the team waited for construction of the Target Center to be completed . The team set NBA records for the highest single - season attendance ever : 1 , 072 , 572 fans in 41 home games . The largest crowd for a single game occurred on April 17 , 1990 : 49 , 551 fans watched the T - Wolves lose to the Denver Nuggets in the last game of the season . College football . Beginning in the 1982 college football season , the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers began playing their home football games at Metrodome . The first game was a 57 - 3 victory over the Ohio Bobcats on September 11 , 1982 . With their move to TCF Bank Stadium , only three NCAA Division I FBS football programs now play indoors ( Idaho , Syracuse and Tulane ; the former two play at on - campus domed stadiums while the third shares the Mercedes - Benz Superdome with the New Orleans Saints ) . When the Gophers first moved to the Metrodome , the NFL - class facilities were seen as an improvement over the aging Memorial Stadium . Initially , attendance increased . However , fans waxed nostalgic over fall days playing outdoors on campus . TCF Bank Stadium provides an outdoor , on - campus venue . College baseball . Starting in the 2010 season , the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Baseball team are playing all of their home games at Metrodome ( with the exception of a game at the new Target Field on March 27 , 2010 ) . The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball has played games since 1985 during February and March because of weather . Later games were played at Siebert Field , except for 2006 when all but two home games were played at Metrodome . The team often played major tournaments at the Dome , which includes the Dairy Queen Classic , where three other major Division I baseball teams play in an invitational . Prior to the NCAA ' s 2008 rule in Division I regarding the start of the college baseball season , the Golden Gophers would often play home games at Metrodome earlier than other teams in the area to neutralize the advantage of warmer - weather schools starting their seasons earlier in the year . Some early Big Ten conference games are played at Metrodome , and the Golden Gophers take advantage of the home field advantage during the early part of the season before the weather warms , and the Gophers can play games on - campus . Other small colleges also play games in the stadium during the weeks before Metrodome is open for Division I play . In 2010 , 420 amateur baseball and softball games — including the majority of the Golden Gophers ' home schedule — were played at Metrodome . The size of Siebert Field also affects the Golden Gophers starting in 2010 . The Golden Gophers last hosted an NCAA baseball tournament regional in 2000 , with temporary seating added . With Metrodome being available for the tournament starting in 2010 , the team could easily place a bid , and have a better possibility of hosting , an NCAA baseball regional or super regional . Other cold - weather teams have played at Metrodome . Big 12 Conference member Kansas has played two series ( 2007 and 2010 ) at Metrodome because of inclement weather against South Dakota State and Eastern Michigan , respectively . Large Concerts . The concert capacity of the Metrodome is around 60 , 000 people , depending on seating and stage configurations , which made it an profitable location for stadium tours during the late eighties and nineties . By comparison , The Target Center in Minneapolis has a concert capacity of up to 20 , 500 . Oddities . Stadium neighborhood . Development in the Downtown East neighborhood around Metrodome took many years to materialize . For many years there were few bars or restaurants nearby for fans to gather at ; tailgating was expressly forbidden in most parking areas . The City of Minneapolis was directing the development of the entertainment districts along Seven corners in Cedar - Riverside , Hennepin Avenue , and the Warehouse district . Metrodome existed among a number of parking areas built upon old rail yards , along with run - down factories and warehouses . Metrodome is not connected to the Minneapolis Skyway System , although that was planned in 1989 to be completed in time to host Super Bowl XXVI . Only in recent years has redevelopment begun moving Southeast to reach Metrodome . More restaurants , hotels , and condominiums have been built nearby . The Hiawatha light rail line has connected the Minneapolis entertainment district with Metrodome . Sight lines . Metrodome is not a true multipurpose stadium . Rather , it was built as a football stadium that can convert into a baseball stadium . The seating configuration is almost rectangular in shape — something that suits football very well . The seats along the four straight sides directly face their corresponding seats on the opposite side , while the seats in the corners are four quarter - circles . However , in most cases , this resulted in poor sight lines for baseball . For instance , the seats directly along the left field line faced the center field and right field fences . Unlike other major league parks , there were no seats down to field level . Even the closest front - row seats were at least 5 or above the field . The way that many seats were situated forced some fans to crane their necks to see the area between the pitcher ' s mound and home plate . Some fans near the foul poles had to turn more than 80 degrees , compared to less than 70 with the previous Yankee Stadium or 75 degrees at Camden Yards . For that reason , the seats down the left field line were typically among the last ones sold ; the ( less expensive ) outfield lower deck seating tended to fill up sooner . Nearly 1 , 400 seats had obscured or partial visibility to the playing field – some of them due to the right field upper deck being directly above ( and somewhat overhanging ) the folded - up football seats behind right field ; and some of them due to steel beams in the back rows of the upper deck which are part of the dome ' s support system . On the plus side , there was relatively little foul territory , which is not typical of most domed stadiums . Also , with the infield placed near one corner , the seats near home plate and the dugouts , where most game action occurs , had some of the closest views in Major League Baseball . Seats in these areas were popularly known as " the baseball section " . In 2007 , some extra rows ( normally used only for football ) were retained for baseball , in the area behind home plate . The sight lines were also very good in the right field corner area , which faced the infield and was closer to the action than the left field corner . The Twins stopped selling most of the seats in sections 203 — 212 of the upper level in 1996 . This area was curtained off except during the postseason or on occasions when a sellout was anticipated . Scheduling conflicts . As part of the deal with Metrodome , the Minnesota Twins had post - season priority over the Gophers in scheduling . If the Twins were in the playoffs with a home series , the baseball game took priority and the Gopher football game had to be moved to a time suitable to allow the grounds crew to convert the playing field and the stands to the football configuration . The last month of Major League Baseball ' s regular season often included one or two Saturdays in which the Twins and Gophers used Metrodome on the same day . On those occasions , the Twins game would start at about 11 AM local time ( TV announcer Dick Bremer sometimes joked that the broadcast was competing with " SpongeBob SquarePants " ) . Afterward , the conversion took place and the Gophers football game started at about 6 PM . The University of Minnesota was the only school in the Big Ten that shared a football facility with professional sports teams for an extended period of years . In 2007 , there were two such schedule conflicts , on September 1 and 22 . In 2008 , there were no conflicts on the regular - season schedule . Due to the minimum time needed to convert the field , a baseball game that ran long in clock time had to be suspended , and concluded the next day . The only time this happened was on October 2 , 2004 , when a game between the Twins and Indians reached the end of the 11th inning after 2 : 30 p . m . in a tie and resumed the next day . The Vikings had rights to the Dome over the Twins except for World Series games . In 1987 , the Vikings ' home date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scheduled for the same day as Game 2 of the World Series was moved to Tampa , and the Vikings ' game with the Denver Broncos scheduled for the same day as Game 7 was pushed back to the following Monday night . The Twins ' 2009 AL Central division tiebreaker with the Detroit Tigers was played on Tuesday , October 6 , 2009 . One - game playoffs are normally held the day after the regular season ends ( in this case , the season ended on Sunday , October 4 ) , but the Vikings were using Metrodome for " Monday Night Football " on October 5 . The Twins were awarded the right to host the tiebreaker because they won the season series against Detroit . Naming rights . In 2009 , Mall of America purchased naming rights for the field at Metrodome , resulting in the field being called " Mall of America Field at Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome " . The contract expires after the end of the 2011 Vikings season . The Vikings have operated a team apparel and memorabilia store at the Mall for several years . Despite possible inference from the signage , the MoA name applies only to the field , not the stadium as a whole . The building remains Hubert Horatio Humphrey Metrodome . Replacement facilities . With the passage of time , Metrodome has been thought to be an increasingly poor fit for all three of its major tenants ( the Twins , the Vikings and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team ) . These tenants have all said that the Dome is nearing the end of its useful lifespan . Two of the tenants , the Gophers ( football ) and Twins , have moved out , while the Vikings are also seeking a new stadium . The Twins , the Vikings , and the Gophers all proposed replacements for Metrodome , and two of the proposals have materialized . The first of the three major tenants to move was the Gophers , who opened their new TCF Bank Stadium in September 2009 . The next to depart were the Twins , whose new Target Field was completed in time for Opening Day 2010 . The most recent Vikings stadium proposal was dealt a setback on May 5 , 2010 , when a Minnesota State House panel defeated the proposal by a 10 - 9 vote . Minnesota Twins . The Twins moved to their new ballpark , Target Field , in 2010 , after attaining their new stadium with an effort that began in the mid 1990s . Although indoor baseball had critics when Metrodome opened , it was positively regarded by players and fans . By 2001 , with Metrodome ' s peculiarities revealed , and several newer purpose - built Major League Baseball stadiums constructed , an ESPN Page 2 reader poll ranked it as one of the worst Major League Baseball stadiums . Twins management claimed Metrodome generated too little revenue for the Twins to be competitive ; specifically , they received no revenue from luxury suite leasing ( as those are owned by the Vikings ) and only a small percentage of concessions sales . Also , the percentage of season - ticket - quality seats was said to be very low compared to other stadiums . From 2003 through 2009 , the Twins had year - to - year leases , and could have moved to another city at any time . However , with no large American markets or new major - league - quality stadiums existing without a current team , it was accepted that the Twins could not profit from a move . The Twins sought a taxpayer subsidy of more than $ 200 million to assist in construction of the stadium . On January 9 , 2005 , the Twins went to court to argue that their Metrodome lease should be considered " dead " after the 2005 season . In February , the district court ruled that the Twins ' lease was year to year and the team could vacate Metrodome at the end of the 2005 season . In late April 2007 , Hennepin County officially took over the future ballpark site ( through a form of Eminent domain called " Quick - Take " ) which had been an on - going struggle between the county and the land owners . The " official " ground - breaking for the new ballpark was postponed on August 2 due to the collapse of the I - 35W Mississippi River bridge . On October 15 , 2007 , the two sides reached a negotiated settlement of just under $ 29 million , ending the dispute . As a result , the county noted it would have to cut back on some improvements to the surrounding streetscapes , though it also revealed that the Pohlad family had committed another $ 15 million for infrastructure . University of Minnesota Gopher football . The Minnesota Golden Gophers football program began playing in Metrodome for the 1982 season . Attendance was expected to increase over the old Memorial Stadium attendance , especially for late fall games , due to the climate controlled comfort . Initially , average attendance had increased over previous seasons at Memorial Stadium . But , the venue was removed from the traditional on - campus football atmosphere if fans wanted to attend a Gophers football game . Students had to take a bus from the campus to the stadium . The distance from the main campus , along with poor performance by the Gopher football team , caused interest to wane . U of M officially moved back onto campus , to TCF Bank Stadium , for the 2009 football season . The University believed an on - campus stadium would motivate its student base for increased ticket sales , and also would benefit from athletic revenues , not only for the football program , but the non - revenue sports as well . The new stadium reportedly cost less than half of a current - era NFL - style football stadium , and was built on what were former surface parking lots just a few blocks east of the former Memorial Stadium , with the naming rights purchased by TCF Bank . The University of Minnesota expected to raise more than half the cost of the stadium via private donations . The Gopher Stadium bill was passed by both houses on May 20 , 2006 , the day before the Twins Stadium bill passed . On May 24 , 2006 , Governor Pawlenty signed the Gopher bill on the University campus . Minnesota Vikings . The Vikings are thought to be the least hampered by their current situation in the Metrodome , but could move after their current lease expires , in 2011 . An enormous market without a team exists for the NFL in Los Angeles . San Antonio has also been discussed as a possible site , during the years that San Antonio native Red McCombs owned the team , though the NFL Committee has never approved of these possible moves . A Los Angeles team would either require a new stadium , or major renovations to the Rose Bowl Stadium or Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . The Alamodome also is outmoded by current NFL standards , and would require major renovations . The NFL and fans have pressured Minnesota governments to finance a new , revenue - generating stadium . Downtown Minneapolis as well as the suburb of Blaine have been explored as potential stadium sites . The Vikings are seeking taxpayer subsidy of more than $ 300 million to assist in construction of the stadium , which may also be used for the many other events currently taking place at the Metrodome . On September 20 , 2005 the Vikings and Anoka County reached an agreement to build a 68 , 000 seat retractable - roof stadium in Blaine , where the Vikings and the county would each pay $ 280 million and the state $ 115 million . It would have opened in 2009 or 2010 if approved by the legislature . After the approval of the stadium plan , team owner Zygmunt Wilf dropped plans to include a roof of any kind , which would have severely limited the site ' s utility for year - round events in Anoka County . In November 2006 Anoka County officials pulled out of the partnership . In addition to unapproved site design changes , the Vikings had started to work behind the scenes with officials from Minneapolis , the site of the current Metrodome . Anoka County believed it had an agreement to be an exclusive partner , and since County officials did not want to get into a bidding war with Minneapolis , they withdrew from the project . The Vikings and Minneapolis at one point conducted studies about redeveloping land around the Metrodome and building a new stadium , tentatively named the Vikings Stadium , on the same land as the Metrodome . If it were to happen , the Vikings would likely play at the new TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota while a new stadium is constructed on the current site of Metrodome . Unlike previous owner Red McCombs , the present Vikings ownership has publicly disavowed any plans to remove the team from Minnesota . On May 17 , 2006 , the State Senate announced that any further work on the Vikings stadium bill would cease until the 2007 legislative session . The bill which authorized financing for the Twins Ballpark included provisions to prepare the field for a Vikings stadium deal in 2007 , this was before Anoka County pulled out of the project . Wilf has more recently expressed interest in redeveloping the land on which the Metrodome currently sits . Local politicians are pushing the Vikings ownership to possibly renovate Metrodome because of its location and existing infrastructure . On February 12 , 2009 , Lester Bagley , the team ' s Vice President of Public Affairs and Stadium Development went on the record to the Minneapolis StarTribune stating that Governor Tim Pawlenty had done too little to advance the cause of a new Vikings Stadium . " With all due respect , he ' s been governor for six years , and he hasn ' t done anything , " Bagley said of Pawlenty . " He hasn ' t lifted a finger to engage in a problem - solving discussion to help us on our issue . And that ' s the frustration that the NFL feels , that our ownership feels and a lot of our allies [ feel ] , whether they be elected officials or not . There ' s a lot of frustration , and there ' s been no meaningful engagement by the executive branch . " This comment angered many fans given the economic recession at the time , and the repercussions of this act have yet to be measured . On October 1 , 2009 , The Minnesota Vikings announced a partnership with Mall of America . The agreement named the field the Mall of America Field at the Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome . The naming rights agreement will last for a three year period and will end on February 28 , 2012 . As part of the agreement , the interior and exterior will have new signs posted as well as other material . The change took place on October 5 , 2009 ; the day the Minnesota Vikings played against the Green Bay Packers winning ( 30 - 23 ) . On May 5 , 2010 , a Minnesota State House panel shelved a new Vikings stadium proposal by a 10 - 9 vote . The December 12 , 2010 roof deflation led to more calls for a new Vikings Stadium from various sources in the local and national media . Minnesota Governor - elect Mark Dayton plans to discuss the matter with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell , but says " any new stadium must first benefit the people of Minnesota " . Accessibility and transportation . Metrodome is located near the junction of Interstate 94 and Interstate 35W , and many fans come by car . There is limited parking in surface lots throughout eastern downtown , and can get as pricey as $ 50 for a close stall at a Vikings game . On - street meters provide the lowest parking rate , especially the " free evenings " meters near the heart of downtown six blocks from Metrodome . A new option as of 2004 is the Downtown East / Metrodome station on the light rail Blue Line . Many people also come by bus , whether on a charter or on the regular regional bus system . Tailgating has often been a popular pre - game activity for football fans , and many nearby parking lots have been available in the past for people who want to start early . However , in recent years , new development in the downtown region of Minneapolis has meant that these parking lots have begun to disappear . In 2004 , the Vikings offered fans a tailgating area in the huge parking lot known as Rapid Park . The lot however was on the opposite side of downtown Minneapolis from Metrodome itself , next to the Target Center , ( although shuttle buses did go back and forth ) and is the site of Target Field which the Twins broke ground for in late August 2007 and opened in 2010 .