New stadium in the running for college football title game

Minneapolis bidding for major college football title game

October 26, 2013 at 12:04AM
The new Vikings stadium, shown in an artist's rendering.
The new Vikings stadium, shown in an artist's rendering. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

First came the talk of hosting a Super Bowl.

Now comes word that Minneapolis is in the running to host a major college football playoff game in the not-too-distant future.

Kristen Montag, a spokesperson for Meet Minneapolis, the city's visitor and convention bureau, said an official representing the college Bowl Championship Series is planning a "site visit" to the city this weekend to meet with boosters and scope out the new Vikings stadium project.

"We are definitely bidding on trying to bring them here," Montag said Friday. "This is something we weren't able to pursue before. But because the stadium is coming on line, now we can and hopefully we can make it happen."

Earlier this month the NFL announced that Minneapolis is one of three cities still in the mix to host the 2018 Super Bowl.

Montag said the earliest a major college football playoff game could be played in downtown Minneapolis would be 2017. The Vikings stadium, which will replace the Metrodome, is scheduled to open in time for the 2016 NFL season.

about the writer

about the writer

Richard Meryhew

Team Leader

Richard Meryhew is editor for the Star Tribune's regional team. He previously was editor of the east bureau in Woodbury and also covered state news, playing a key role in team coverage of many of the state's biggest stories. In 2006, he authored an award-winning series on Kirby Puckett's life.

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