Author: David Shama

At its monthly meeting tomorrow the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission will hear results of the Metrodome Next study announcing new stadium costs and design, plus a proposed stadium schedule.  The announcement follows 18 months of study by two companies, HKS, Inc. and Mortenson Construction.

An MSFC spokesman told Sports Headliners the report will have a reduced stadium cost from the $950 million that’s been used in the past but he didn’t offer a figure.  He said the retractable roof stadium will be “state of the art,” comparing favorably with other new NFL facilities.  With a nod to the environment, he said it will also be the “greenest” in the NFL.  The facility will be located on the Metrodome site.

A Vikings spokesman said neither team executives nor ownership will attend the meeting tomorrow.  Vikings leaders aren’t happy about a commission resolution that in exchange for extending the Metrodome lease by two years the Vikings would receive reduced stadium expenses for playoff games.

The Vikings (11-2) can clinch their second consecutive NFC North championship on Sunday night in Carolina but the team has the ultimate prize in mind.  “You gotta go win every single game because our goal is not just to make the Super Bowl but to win the Super Bowl,” defensive end Brian Robison told Sports Headliners.

On Sunday night quarterback Brett Favre can become the Vikings record holder for the most 100+ rated games in a single season.  Favre has eight games this season with a 100+ rating (tied all-time with Daunte Culpepper).

Near the end of Sunday’s 30-10 win over Cincinnati, defensive tackle Pat Williams, 37, and quarterback Brett Favre, 40, were having a good laugh on the sidelines.  Williams said the two were talking about how the Vikings had returned to playing “smash mouth” football after a loss to Arizona last week.  “We were just laughing about it,” Williams said. “Like a couple old guys do.”

Vikings defensive tackle Jared Allen said that even a win late in the season (game No. 13) builds team confidence.  “Absolutely,” he said. “This is just how we expect to play.  Our expectations are high.  You always build confidence with every win.”

Linebacker Ben Leber, who has been with the Vikings since the 2006 season and was on a playoff team in San Diego before that, was asked if this is the best Vikings team he has played for.  “Certainly,” he answered.  “It’s probably the best team I’ve played on in my career both (in) San Diego and here.  It’s just the way these guys’ attitude is during the week and on game day.  The way we can go out and perform.  It’s a heck of a fun…team to play on.”

Rob Neyer of ESPN.com named his top 100 baseball players of this decade and ranked Joe Mauer No. 40.  Former Twins Johan Santana, David Ortiz, Torii Hunter, Corey Koskie, Brad Radke and Kenny Rogers ranked No. 10, 53, 70 , 92, 93 and 99 respectively.  https://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?id=4740695

Former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire’s New Jersey team is No. 1 in the ESPN.com power rankings. https://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/powerranking

Gophers forward Jordan Schroeder is one of 29 players expected at the U.S. World Junior’s preliminary camp that starts tomorrow and lasts through Saturday in Grand Forks.  The camp will help determine who makes the U.S. squad for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships to be held December 26-January 5 in Canada.

If Schroeder makes the team, he would become the first Minnesota player to participate in three World Junior Championships.  Schroeder is already the U.S. all-time assists leader with 15.  He led the U.S. team in scoring and ranked third overall in the tournament last year with three goals and eight assists for 11 points.  He led all tournament players with seven assists.  The U.S. finished fourth last year.

The Gophers play Iowa State in the December 31 Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona and Creative Charters of Stillwater has information on a travel package.  https://www.creativecharter.com/

The Iowa State football roster on the school Website lists only four Minnesotans, sophomore tight end Carter Bykowski from Eden Prairie, freshman offensive lineman Taimon Moran-Hoyne of Bloomington Jefferson, junior wide receiver Jason Carlson from Robbinsdale Armstrong, and junior running back Alexander Robinson of DeLaSalle.  Robinson rushed for 1,095 yards and was one of the most productive runners in the Big 12 this season.

The book GOPHER GLORY: The Pride of the Maroon & Gold will be promoted at Rosedale Center in Roseville on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.  The event will include the book’s author, ex-Gopher Jim Bruton, plus other former Gophers.  Bruton and others will be available to sign copies of the book, on sale for $20.  All proceeds benefit the “M” Club Scholarship Fund at the University.

Minnesota-Duluth, national champions in 2008, finished No. 5 in the American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches poll.  Minnesota State, Mankato was No. 12.

Fans may believe the Gophers home basketball nonconference schedule needs upgrading but don’t expect change in the foreseeable future.  The schedule this year consists of exhibition games against Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State Moorhead, with regular season nonconference games against Tennessee Tech, Stephen F. Austin, Utah Valley, Brown, Morgan State, St. Joseph’s, Northern Illinois and South Dakota State.

There’s not one exciting box office draw among the 10 teams.  Ten years ago the Gophers nonconference home schedule at least included Marquette and Virginia.  Thirty years ago Nebraska, Kansas State, Texas A&M, and Rutgers visited Williams Arena.

To maximize revenues, major college teams including Minnesota have put the nonconference home scheduling emphasis on home games with plain-Jane opponents.  Jane comes to your place for a modest appearance fee and doesn’t expect a return game.

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners that ticket revenue from men’s basketball home games ($20 million) represents about 20 percent of his total ticket revenue budget for this year.  “I can’t afford too many games in a given year because financially I need to make the bottom line,” he said.  “You make more money when you play at home than you do on the road.”

The other benefit with the scheduling philosophy used by major conference schools like the Gophers is they can fluff up their record by scheduling the Morgan States, Utah Valleys and Stephen F. Austins.  Yet reality in Minnesota is fans pay some of the highest ticket prices in college basketball and watch a lot of low-appeal teams come to town.  And the Gophers don’t generate much game day ticket sales activity for the nonconference games and last Saturday even had a buy one ticket ($35) and get another free.

Coach Tubby Smith has increased interest in the Gophers since coming here from Kentucky in 2007.  But none of the nonconference games approach selling out while most or all of the Big Ten games have that potential this season. There’s a clear distinction in perceived value by the public including some season ticket holders who don’t use their tickets and leave a lot of seats open at November and December games.

The most that can be hoped for in today’s major college basketball environment is to have a couple of appealing opponents come to your town.  Some other Big Ten programs did better than the Gophers this year.

Wisconsin booked a home nonconference schedule that included Arizona, Duke and Marquette.  Indiana lined up Maryland, Pittsburgh and Kentucky.  Illinois scheduled Utah and Vanderbilt.  Northwestern played Stanford and Butler.

The Gophers were at Miami this year as part of the ACC-Big Ten rivalry.  In a Thanksgiving weekend tournament in California the Gophers played Butler and Texas A&M.  All three of those teams would be welcomed at Williams Arena by Gophers season ticket holders.

The Gophers schedule is more appealing in years when an ACC team plays here as part of the Big Ten-ACC challenge.  The norm is alternate years for hosting an ACC team but Maturi said that’s not guaranteed.  He also said next year’s nonconference schedule isn’t completed and so no comparisons can be made to the present one.

It won’t be dramatically different though, but one approach that could add some marquee value in the more distant future is that Maturi and Smith have talked about a “neutral” court game at perhaps Target Center or the Xcel Energy Center against a traditional college basketball power.  Presumably it would be a made-for-TV matchup.