Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center
TCO Performance Center | |
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  TCO Performance Center Location in Minneapolis–Saint Paul  TCO Performance Center Location in Minnesota  TCO Performance Center Location in the United States | |
| Address | 2600 Vikings Circle |
|---|---|
| Location | Eagan, Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 44°51′41″N 93°07′00″W / 44.8613°N 93.1166°W |
| Owner | Minnesota Vikings |
| Operator | Minnesota Vikings |
| Capacity | 6,000 |
| Surface | Artificial turf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 2, 2016[1] |
| Opened | June 15, 2018[4] |
| Construction cost | $90 million[2] |
| Architect | Crawford Architects[3] |
| General contractor | Kraus Anderson[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Minnesota Vikings practice facility (NFL) (2018–present) Minnesota Aurora FC (USLW) (2022–present) | |
Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center (commonly referred to as TCO Performance Center) is a 40-acre sports complex located in Eagan, Minnesota. Its main use is as the Minnesota Vikings' headquarters and practice facility.[5] The facility includes a 6,000-seat outdoor stadium known as TCO Stadium, in addition to a fully-enclosed indoor practice field and several outdoor natural and synthetic turf practice fields.[2] TCO Performance Center also features player position meeting rooms and team auditorium; expanded locker room, weight room and equipment facilities. Along with state of the art cardiovascular and specialized speed rooms, a hydrotherapy room, and post-workout recovery rooms; a broadcast studio and media center; and administrative offices for Vikings staff.[3]
History
[edit]Beginning in 1981, the Vikings headquarters was located at Eden Prairie, Minnesota's Winter Park.[6] The Vikings eventually outgrew Winter Park, which was lacking in office space and featured deteriorating training amenities.[5] In August 2015, the Vikings signed a purchase agreement to buy a 185-acre site in Eagan, Minnesota which was once the headquarters of Northwest Airlines.[7] Ground was broken on the new Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on August 2, 2016.[1] On that same day, the Vikings announced a 20-year partnership with Twin Cities Orthopedics, which includes naming rights. No financial terms were disclosed.[8] The team moved into the facility in early 2018, with an official ribbon-cutting taking place on June 15, 2018.[4]
On July 18, 2017, the Vikings announced that that year's training camp would be the Vikings' last in Mankato, Minnesota. Minnesota State University, Mankato had hosted Vikings training camp for over 50 years.[9] Beginning with summer 2018, Vikings training camp is held at TCO Performance Center. Approximately 5,000 fans per day attend training camp which typically takes place from late July to mid-August.[10]
TCO Stadium
[edit]The on-site 6,000-seat stadium is expandable to 10,000 seats.[11] Each year, the stadium hosts local high school football games in what's known as the Vikings Prep Spotlight series. The ability to host high school and youth football events at the facility was a primary focus in the design of the campus.[12] In addition to football, the stadium has hosted soccer and lacrosse events.[13]
In 2022, it was announced that the Minnesota Aurora FC, a new pre-professional women's soccer team, would play its games at TCO Stadium.[14] On July 23, 2022, the Aurora hosted South Georgia Tormenta FC in the USL W League championship game at TCO Stadium, losing by a score of 2–1. The match drew a record crowd of 6,489.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Larrabee, Kirk. "Minnesota Vikings break ground on new TCO Performance Center". 247 Sports. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Nowacki, Jon. "You get what you pay for: New $90 million home of Vikings training camp draws rave reviews". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center". krausanderson.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Peters, Craig. "Vikings and Dignitaries Celebrate TCO Performance Center Ribbon-Cutting". Vikings.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Olson, Rochelle. "Skol, Eagan! Vikings land in new practice center". startribune.com. Star Tribune. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Vikings Move from Winter Park Nearing Completion". vikings.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Black, Sam. "Vikings tie up former NWA HQ for training facility". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Campbell, Dave (August 2, 2016). "New Vikings HQ to be named for Twin Cities Orthopedics". apnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ Olson, Rochelle. "Minnesota Vikings, Mankato part ways after one final training camp beginning next week". startribune.com. Star Tribune. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Shipley, John (June 19, 2018). "Brace yourself, Eagan: Traffic snarls likely when Vikings training camp starts". Twincities.com. Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Hartman, Sid. "Vikings' new Eagan practice facility is first-class". startribune.com. Star Tribune. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Fisher, Jeff. "Minnesota Vikings to host high school football games". HSFA. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Shaughnessy, Mike. "Premier Lacrosse League visits TCO Stadium". hometownsource.com. Sun Thisweek. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ Simon, Alexandra (February 3, 2022). "TCO Stadium named home turf for Minnesota Aurora FC". kare11.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ La Vaque, David. "Aurora's dream season ends with 2–1 extra time loss to South Georgia in USL W title match". startribune.com. Star Tribune. Retrieved July 24, 2022.