The Minnesota Vikings presented their plans for 2018 training camp Tuesday morning, kicking off a new era after the team spent 52 years trekking to Mankato for the annual summer event.
Here are the major takeaways for fans as they prepare to attend training camp at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan.
–Tickets must be reserved in advance at vikings.com. The team is anticipating a sold-out training camp, so you’ll want to get your tickets at the first opportunity. Season ticket holders will have access to tickets on June 21, and the general public will have access June 25. Each session will have a 5,000-person capacity with 4,000 free-of-charge general admission seats and 1,000 reserved seats for $20. Of the 5,000 seats, 1,300 per day will be available to the general public to ensure that season ticket holders do not buy up the entire supply. Fans are permitted a maximum of four tickets per day for up to two sessions. All tickets will be digital.
-There is enough parking for 2,200 vehicles. Parking passes can be purchased in advance for $10, granting you on-site parking on the east side of the facility. There should be enough parking to accommodate all fans, provided most people carpool with friends or family. There will be no parking on surrounding streets such as Vikings Parkway or O’Neill Drive. Those interested in ride-sharing can be transported from Trinity School at River Ridge, which is less than a mile from the facility.
-Mark the important dates. July 25 will be the rookies’ first practice, while veterans will join them on July 27. The first padded practice is July 30. Minnesota’s annual night practice will be held Aug. 4 under the lights at TCO Stadium. On Aug. 15-16, the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town for joint practices. The final practice with the Jaguars will be the last practice open to the public.
-Keep an eye on the weather. If you’re coming from out of town, you might want to be wary of making the trip if there is a chance of severe weather. Fans will not be permitted to watch practice if the Vikings are forced to move to their indoor practice field, but the team will provide refunds in that instance.
-A few reminders… The Vikings will only permit water to be brought into training camp — no food. They will have multiple concession stands available where fans can purchase refreshments. There is no tailgating allowed in the parking lots, since they are expected to be full. Finally, there will not be Wi-Fi accessible at the practice fields.
