News this week that the Xcel Energy Center has been nationally recognized as a preferred venue is well deserved and improves the area’s historical reputation for having below par sports and entertainment facilities. Xcel has been selected as “Best NHL Arena” by SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily in its 2006 reader survey; “Best Fan Experience” by Forbes magazine in its annual “Business of Hockey” report, and Xcel received its fifth nomination for “Arena of the Year” by Pollstar magazine, the leading concert industry trade publication.
Earlier this year Sports Illustrated named Xcel its top choice among NHL arenas in its NHL Preview issue. In 2003, ESPN The Magazine rated Xcel No. 1 for “Best Stadium Experience.” On the concert side, Xcel Energy Center has been nominated four times (2001-2003, 2005) for “Arena of the Year” by Pollstar.
Known for its sightlines, acoustics and fan friendly environment, Xcel has been acclaimed since its opening in 2000 for hockey, concerts and family shows.
Historically, some of our other area facilities have not drawn nearly as much praise. In the 1920s legend is that Knute Rockne and other planners for a Notre Dame football stadium came to Minneapolis to analyze the University of Minnesota’s Memorial Stadium, long known for its poor sightlines and disproportionate number of bowl end seats. “Gentlemen, this is how not to build a stadium,” the famous coach reportedly said.
Over the years University planners talked about stadium renovations and expansion to improve Memorial Stadium but never proceeded. There was even serious discussion in the 1970s about doming the stadium and using it for football and basketball.
Met Stadium opened in 1956 as Minneapolis boosters pushed for a major league baseball team with the opening of the new ball park in Bloomington. Although the stadium was expanded with the arrival of the Minnesota Twins in 1961, the bleacher stands running along the left field foul line were never converted into arm chair seating. Then, too, rather than build a football stadium for the Vikings, the team played for years in the Met Stadium where sightlines were deplorable for football.
Operating on the cheap (see Memorial Stadium and Met Stadium above) characterized the planning and opening of the Metrodome. Rather than pushing for separate football and baseball facilities, the inexpensive alternative was to build the Metrodome. A somewhat stingy amount of about $55 million was budgeted and initial talk was to install bleacher seats with backs. During the first months of operation fans sweltered with no air conditioning, another attempt to save money.
The Met Center was known for its great sightlines but when local leaders heard an appeal from Minnesota North Stars ownership to expand the building with more concourse space and luxury suites the answer was no. For less than $15 million the Met Center could have been renovated and perhaps would still be home to the North Stars.
Target Center helped bring the NBA back to Minneapolis with a then state-of-the art facility. With only one small lobby and acoustics rated below the more modern Xcel, few Minneapolis boosters will argue that the building is the equal of the Xcel.
Clearly the area’s greatest success stories are Xcel, and the Gophers’ hockey and basketball homes, Mariucci Arena and Williams Arena. Sometimes we do get it right.