Vikings Training Camp at TCO–Here is What You Need to Know
Joe Oberle
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Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from www.purplePTSD writer and editor of purplePTSD and VikingsTerritory, Joe Oberle.
On Tuesday, the Vikings announced their plans for Training Camp at the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center home in Eagan (a momentary sniff and wipe of the tear by this Mankato native). The new facility is incredible, expansive and might take some time to navigate on the first run through of camp so the Vikings are hoping to get the word out on what to expect for the coming camp.
The Vikings provided the following 12 questions that you might have and answers that are worth knowing for the 2018 Vikings Training Camp. The comments in italics are mine.
- What are the Training Camp Dates? It is right around the corner, so mark your calendars.
“Vikings rookies report Tuesday, July 24, and practice for the first time on Wednesday, July 25. The Vikings veteran players report on Friday, July 27 and begin practice on Saturday, July 28. The first fully padded practice is scheduled for Monday, July 30. And the big annual night practice is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 4.”
- How will the ticketing process work? The will be electronic tickets this season, and here is what the Vikings have said about it:
“The Vikings are trying to assure a quality experience for all attendees and enable the largest amount of fans to attend the first training camp ever held in the Twin Cities Metro. Daily fan attendance will be capped at 5,000 for each of the 18 days that are scheduled to be open to the public. All tickets must be reserved in advance. There will be 4,000 free, general admission tickets available and 1,000 reserved seats available in the Kwik Trip Red Zone each day. Reserved seats are $20 each and $25 apiece when the Vikings host the Jaguars for joint practices on August 15-16.”
- When are tickets available? Good question.
“As a benefit of being a Vikings Season Ticket Member, STMs will have priority access to reserve tickets beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 21, and tickets for the general public will be released at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 25. The Vikings are holding 1,300 general admission tickets per day until the public release.”
- Where can tickets be reserved? This question is very important since all the tickets are electronic this season. Here is the answer:
“Digital tickets are available at Vikings.com/training camp. Please note that tickets and parking passes will be available on mobile devices only. No printed PDFs will be available. The free Vikings App manages tickets and parking. Fans without a smartphone can contact the Vikings ticket office at 612-33-VIKES for assistance. 5. Why is there a limit on tickets per fan? In order to allow as many Vikings fans as possible the opportunity to attend camp, there is a four-ticket maximum per fan and a limit of two days per fan.”
- What is the parking situation going to be like? It is new; everything is new at TCO, say pay attention to these next two items:
“More than 2,200 parking spaces will be available on-site in the Northland Ford Dealers Parking Lot, but they must be purchased in advance. ADA parking is available and can be designated during the ticket reservation process. Fans can only arrive via Vikings Parkway or Ames Crossing and should use the following address to reach the site: 2600 Vikings Circle Eagan, MN 55121”
- How much is parking and how many passes are available?
“Similar to when training camp was hosted at Mankato, the cost to park will be $10. Fans will have an opportunity to purchase parking when reserving tickets. There is a limit of one parking pass for each ticket transaction. The purchase of parking is not required, but fans must arrange other transportation that does not include on-site parking. Tailgating will not be allowed because of limited space.”
- Is rideshare an option? Yes, and it might be a good one.
“The location for all ride-share services and drop-offs will be Trinity School at River Ridge, located at the following address: 601 River Ridge Parkway Eagan, MN 55121. A shuttle service will bring fans to the main security check point.”
- What happens if practice is canceled due to weather? While the weather is out of the team’s control, they have put some plans in place for the occurrence of a rainout:
“The Vikings will refund any reserved seats and parking purchased on days when practice is canceled or moved inside due to weather concerns. Unfortunately, there will be no make-up dates available due to an expected sell-out throughout camp.”
- What are the security policies? Read and remember!
“Similar to U.S. Bank Stadium, fans will go through metal detectors and have bags checked prior to entering Vikings Training Camp. Unlike games at U.S. Bank Stadium, however, bags of all sizes will be allowed after a thorough search. The Vikings will have fast-pass lanes for those fans without a bag.”
- Will food and beverages be available? How can we watch football without it, right?
“Yes, concession stands and a variety of food trucks will offer food and beverages at family-friendly prices. For example, hot dogs will cost $3 and water bottles will cost $1. Fans are allowed to bring their own water bottles. Coolers are not allowed inside the security perimeter.”
- What is the policy for autographs? Finally, and this one is an important one for many fans going to training camp.
“Players will be scheduled to sign autographs among their position groups. The daily autograph schedule is available here, but the Vikings cannot guarantee a specific player’s autograph.”
There you have it. All the news that is fit to print about the upcoming Vikings Training camp at TCO Performance Center. It is worth having this information, as everything is new with camp. But once you get there, things will become familiar again. Make sure to plan ahead and get you tickets ASAP—they will be going fast.