Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
You want to charge for what?!
#1
The Vikings will hold 14 open practices during their 2021 training camp in Eagan, beginning with their first full-team practice on July 28. The team's annual night practice at TCO Stadium comes on July 31, when the Vikings are still in their ramp-up period before their first padded practice. They will scrimmage at U.S. Bank Stadium in front of fans for the first time at noon on Aug. 7.
Vikings chief operating officer Andrew Miller said the team came up with the idea for the stadium scrimmage this spring as a way to welcome back fans who had been kept out last season because of the pandemic and to give the operations staff a dress rehearsal a week before the first preseason game.
"We want people to feel like they're coming back in for a game," Miller said. "We want it to be something where fans can come back in, feel like they're part of the team and they're back in the stadium watching a game. It's going to be a full padded practice. It's going to be fun to see how people like it."
For the first time, the Vikings will charge for tickets to four practices: the night practice, the stadium scrimmage and two joint practices with the Broncos on Aug. 11-12. Children under 36 inches will still be free, but the Vikings will charge $10 per adult and $5 per child under 17 for the night practice and the two days with the Broncos, the Vikings' opponent for their first preseason game. The team will admit up to 20,000 fans to the stadium scrimmage, where tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children under 17.
The Vikings had initially planned to charge fans for tickets to training camp practices in 2005 after the Wilfs bought the team, but scrapped the idea because of a strong reaction from fans and the fact opposing scouts could have purchased tickets for practices if they weren't free to attend. Since the Vikings moved to Eagan in 2018, they've charged for premium seats at training camp; this year, they'll offer up to 300 upscale tickets per day, with food and beverages included, for $50 apiece.
"We've had a longstanding tradition of having open practices in training camp with free tickets. We wanted to preserve that tradition this year," Miller said. "We also want to give our fans options. We've created some new all-inclusive packages, opportunities to see practice with a combination of preseason tickets, [Vikings] museum discounts. Really, it's about different experiences tailored to what our fans want. We tried to create a number of different options to try and do that."
As it did in 2018 and 2019, the team will have up to 4,000 free general admission tickets for 10 practices at its facility during training camp. Season ticket holders can reserve training camp tickets starting Tuesday, while the general public can reserve seats on June 24.
The Vikings will not require fans to wear masks or show proof of COVID-19 vaccination at training camp, though the team will encourage unvaccinated fans to wear masks and Miller said the Vikings are continuing to promote the vaccine. NFL protocols will prevent the Vikings from making players available for autographs, but Miller said the Vikings are working on different options, like autograph sessions with former players or chances for fans to catch signed football from current players.
Camp will be open from noon to 5:30 p.m. each day, with practices running from approximately 2:00 to 4:30.


https://www.startribune.com/vikings-trai...600069157/
Reply

#2
@JimmyinSD, I'm already missing farting around the campfire at night, getting loaded in Mankato....



Reply

#3
A year's worth of live entertainment dollars collecting dust married to an industry that lost millions in ticket revenue.

If I was local, I'd be first in line. 

Then again, I used to tape NFL Europe games.
Reply

#4
Any way to make a buck. It is what it is. It's going to be interesting what sort of protocols are in place for fans. I wonder what they will do differently for the autograph sessions? 
Reply

#5
The scrimmage is at US Bank Stadium 

https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/14055...06754?s=19
Reply

#6
Lol sorry PF I missed that in your post.

[Image: lr96osiy5ol1.gif]
Reply

#7
I remember filling out a survey on this year's training camp. There were lots of scenarios trying to determine just what someone would be willing to pay for. 

Not sure I'll go to the US Bank scrimmage but I do plan on spending some time at training camp.
Reply

#8
Well they said they wanted it to feel like a real game, so…$$$  Wink
Reply

#9
i remember saying when they announced that they were moving camp that the days of it being free were fleeting.  its a sad reality but this is just like tailgating and other parts of the Vikings experience that are lost due to the need of billionaires to exploit every conceivable revenue source from a product.
Reply

#10
Vikings chief operating officer Andrew Miller said he expects the team to play in front of full houses for preseason and regular-season games at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2021 after no tickets were sold in 2020 for games. “Yeah, we’re planning for full capacity, and we’re excited to have that,” Miller said in a phone interview. “It’s a really special thing to be able to have our fans back in the stadium.” 

Miller said there will be no requirement for fans to wear masks or to prove they are vaccinated at home games, although he said the Vikings are “encouraging fans to get vaccinated” and to wear masks if they’re not. There also will be no such requirements at training camp. 
For training camp, Vikings executive vice president of public affairs Lester Bagley told the Pioneer Press last month the expectation was to bring 4,000 to 5,000 fans a day to training camp. The team announced Thursday that capacity will be set at 5,000 for regular practices, and that up to 4,000 free general admission tickets will be available to fans for 10 practices. 
Three practices will require purchase of a $10 ticket, including a July 31 night practice, when up to 7,000 fans will be permitted. And there will be an Aug. 7 scrimmage at U.S. Bank Stadium that will cost $20 a ticket; it will be limited to 20,000 fans. Miller said some of the proceeds from “premier” events will be donated to the Minnesota Vikings Foundation, a charity, but he did not provide specific figures. 
“We are extremely excited to have our fans come back to training camp at TCO Performance Center and to come back to our regular-season games this season at U.S. Bank Stadium,” Miller said. “It’s been a really challenging year for everybody globally.” 
Miller said the decision to charge for admission to four practices was to give fans “a choice for a different type of practice and continue to make it affordable.” He said there are no plans in the future for the Vikings to go to an all-paid basis for training camp. 

“To have access to free tickets is really important,” he said. “We’ve had a long-standing tradition of that.”
https://www.twincities.com/2021/06/17/vi...k-stadium/
Reply



Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread:
3 Guest(s)

Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2024 Melroy van den Berg.