Stadium Blog Post

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (9/8/2006) -- The University of Minnesota is holding an historic Gopher Football Relay on Saturday, Sept. 30, to celebrate Gopher football's return to campus in fall 2009.

"An on-campus Gopher football stadium is now becoming a reality and we want our friends and fans to celebrate with us by bringing Gopher football back to campus - literally," said U of M athletics director Joel Maturi.

Hundreds of U of M supporters will bring football back to campus by relaying a football from the Metrodome, through the university campus and to the future site of TCF Bank Stadium at the corner of Oak Street S.E. and Fourth Street S.E., Minneapolis. Official "ball carriers" will be assigned a location along the route where they will receive a hand off from another ball carrier, walk it a short distance and give it to the next carrier. The relay will begin at 12:30 p.m. and be followed by a stadium groundbreaking celebration at 2 p.m. Afterward, shuttle buses to the Metrodome will be available for fans who plan to attend the Gopher game against Michigan.

The public is encouraged to wear maroon and gold and to bring their spirit and Gopher pride to cheer on the celebrity ball carriers as they make their way to the stadium site. The event will take place rain or shine.

TCF Bank Stadium will have an open-air horseshoe design with a capacity of 50,000, including general seats as well as an array of club and suite seats. The stadium will complement the campus environment, have a collegiate look and feel, create two landscaped plazas and accommodate other uses. The design allows for maximum flexibility, including potential expansion to 80,000 seats.

The stadium cost is estimated at $248 million, which includes site preparation, district improvements and the stadium itself, with funding coming from private and corporate contributions, as well from the state of Minnesota.

For more information on the new on-campus Gopher football stadium, see www.umn.edu/stadium.