A pro sports industry source told Sports Headliners that US Bank will pay $15 million per year for the naming rights to the new Vikings stadium opening in 2016. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, believes the naming rights deal between the bank and the local NFL team could be seven to 10 years in length and an announcement about US Bank Stadium will come later this year.
However, Vikings executive Lester Bagley said there are no announcement plans about US Bank or any other company, and the naming rights project is a detailed ongoing process.
“There are 16 Fortune 500 companies in the state. We’re confident we will have a great Minnesota company (name) on the building,” Bagley told Sports Headliners.
A $15 million figure would compare favorably with reports of recent stadium naming rights fees at or approaching $20 million per year for the Cowboys and the 49ers. Both teams operate in larger population centers than Minneapolis-St. Paul, an area described by Bagley as a “modest Midwest market.”
The rights fee paid by Target for naming rights to Target Field has been reported in the $5 million range per year. The source estimated the annual rights fees at $2 million for Xcel Energy Center and $1.5 million for Target Field.
The University of Minnesota has a $35 million, 25 year deal for TCF Bank Stadium. That arrangement provides TCF Bank with benefits beyond the name on the Gophers football stadium and includes campus ATMs and other financial services.
A naming rights deal will be a major revenue source for the Vikings who by agreement with the state receive those monies. The source said US Bank is expected to receive a variety of benefits ranging from in-stadium presence to bank promotions, and from social media to community outreach.
Gophers & Other Notes
The Gophers were 3-9 in 2011, 6-7 last season. Coach Jerry Kill recently told Sports Headliners he is optimistic about continued improvement.
“I think we’ll have a better football team than we did a year ago,” Kill said. “I don’t know what that means (in wins and losses). I know we feel that way as a coaching staff.”
Strength and conditioning coach Eric Klein has voiced optimism after watching players become bigger and stronger during the offseason. He told Kill he feels this is the “first time” he has helped position the Gophers “for success.”
Kill has said the program needs more experienced players in the years ahead. The Gophers may only have four or five senior starters, and a dozen or fewer seniors who contribute during the season.
Compare that to what the Gophers encountered in Lincoln last year when on Senior Day Nebraska honored more than two dozen seniors. “That’s when you get good,” Kill said. “You can have a senior class of 20 kids, 25 kids every year, then you’ve got a program. We haven’t had that.”
Before the Gophers started official practices late last week there was the expected preseason optimism among players. “We’re comfortable in coach Kill’s system, and we’re a lot more confident,” said senior safety Brock Vereen.
Vereen, senior linebacker Aaron Hill and some others are under consideration by Kill to become captains. “This year we do expect to have a tremendous turnaround and to have my name as part of a leader of a team that made such a great stride compared to last year, it would mean a lot,” Vereen said.
If the Gophers are to improve over last season, they will need high performance years from at least a few players. Senior defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman is the most high profile player right now, and is being included on preseason watch lists like the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, recognizing the nation’s best defensive player.
How much does Hageman want to be named All-American after this season? “You’re gonna see to my actions. … Just give it my all,” he said.
But for the Gophers to exceed last year’s six win total they will need players to emerge from obscurity too. One of those players could be true freshman running back Berkley Edwards who back home in Michigan was among the nation’s fastest prep sprinters.
Quarterback Philip Nelson watched Edwards this summer in Minneapolis. “From day one we all knew that he was a speed demon. … I think he has the capability of really being able to really get through the defense and make some good plays for us.”
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier evaluating the team’s two-minute offense last season: “There were some missed opportunities, we could have did a little bit better in. We are trying to correct that. …There were times we did a real good job in our two-minute situations that we had, but we think we can be more productive.”
Concordia-St. Paul junior Tom Obarski is on the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List for the second-straight year. The award recognizes place-kickers for excellence on the field and in the community. Obarski, who has made field goals of over 50 yards including a 59 yarder, is one of 34 place-kickers on the list from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA levels.
Glen Perkins, after his 27th save of the year yesterday in a 3-2 Twins win over the Astros, now has the most single season saves by a Minnesota pitcher since 2009 when Joe Nathan had 47.
Twins rookie starting pitcher Kyle Gibson isn’t having much success lately. He lasted only three innings on Saturday night, the shortest start of his big league career, and he gave up four runs on nine hits. He has allowed a home run in each of his last three starts after yielding none in the first four outings.
The Twins play at Kansas City tomorrow night after being swept by the Royals at Target Field last week. The Twins have won three straight since winning yesterday against the Astros and sweeping them in a three game series.
Outfielder Byron Buxton, considered by many the best minor league prospect in baseball, has hit three home runs in his last 10 games playing for the Twins Class A Fort Myers team. He also has two triples.
