Like it or not, the cost of doing business with the NFL was overdue in Minnesota.
Before the Vikings' stadium deal was approved Thursday, 78.1 percent of the league's 32 cities had, since 1995, already built new stadiums (21), significantly renovated old ones (Green Bay, Chicago and Kansas City) or recently reached an agreement to build a new stadium (San Francisco).
With the Metrodome being the sixth-oldest venue that wasn't renovated, it was only a matter of time before Minnesotans had to pony up or say goodbye to the Vikings. Unfortunately, choosing the former, even at a cost of $975 million, doesn't come with any guaranteed on-the-field success.
Most of the league's revenue -- about $4 billion in 2011 -- comes from broadcast deals and is shared evenly among 32 teams. Ticket sales also are split, with 60 percent going to home teams and 40 percent to the visitors.
What's not shared -- except for a 10 percent tax on the highest-revenue teams -- is revenue from the sale of luxury suites and stadium concessions. Hence the need for new stadiums that produce more revenue, higher profits and the capacity to keep pace with player costs.
But this is still a league that adheres to the core principle of parity. So new stadiums don't turn teams around by themselves.
Since 2000, 12 existing teams and one expansion franchise have gotten new stadiums. Of the 12 existing teams, five actually had a better record during the equal number of years before moving into the new stadium. Overall, those 12 are a combined 777-660-3 (.541) since their new stadiums opened compared to 722-717-1 (.502) in the equal number of years immediately before that.
Those 12 teams have made 44 playoff appearances and gone 51-39, including 5-7 in Super Bowls, since moving into new stadiums. During the equal number of years before their new stadiums, those teams made 38 playoff appearances and went 34-34, including 4-3 in Super Bowls.
