TCF Bank Stadium (also known as The Gopher Hole ) is the football stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers college football team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 50,805 seat on-campus "horseshoe" style stadium is designed to support future expansion to seat up to 80,000 people, and cost $288.5 million to build.
TCF Bank Stadium is the first of three spectator sports stadiums that either have been built or are being considered for the major tenants of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome – the Gophers and two professional teams, the Minnesota Twins baseball and Minnesota Vikings football teams. Served by existing and proposed light rail, the three stadiums are located within a 1.25 miles (2.01 km) radius loosely centered at the Guthrie Theater on the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. The Twins' Target Field will be the next facility to open, in April of 2010.
History
TCF Bank is the third on-campus stadium and fourth stadium used for University of Minnesota football. Previous fields have been Northrop Field, Memorial Stadium, and Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Stadium proposal
The push for a new on-campus stadium for the Golden Gopher football team began in the fall of 2000. The university cited poor revenue and lack of a college football atmosphere at the off-campus Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome as their main reasons for wanting to move back on campus. A plan for a joint Minnesota Vikings/University of Minnesota football stadium was proposed in 2002, but differences over how the stadium would be designed and managed, as well as state budget constraints, led to the plan's failure. In September 2003 a highly publicized attempt was made by T. Denny Sanford to be the lead donor for the project, but in early 2004 the plan fell through when the two parties were unable to come to an agreement on the financial terms. The university unveiled preliminary stadium drawings and a general plan to seek state money and donations in December 2003. On March 24, 2005, the university and TCF Bank announced a deal that would have the bank contribute $35 million towards the project which would give them naming rights. The deal was given an expiration date of December 31, 2005; time enough for the Minnesota Legislature to provide the bulk of funding needed to make the project a reality.
During the remainder of 2005 the university concentrated on drafting a stadium proposal that would draw the support of state politicians. The final plan proposed that the state of Minnesota would contribute 40% of the stadium cost while the university would raise the remaining 60% on its own. Portions of that 60% were to be funded by the TCF naming rights, while the remainder would come from a $50 per semester student fee, private donations, the sale of 2,840 acres (11.5 km²) of university land in rural Dakota County back to the state, and game day parking revenue. Even though the university proposal drew widespread legislative support, the stadium effort suffered a setback when the 2005 legislative session ended before the stadium bill could be heard. Late in 2005 when it became evident that this would happen, the university and TCF Bank announced that it had extended the naming rights deal to June 30, 2006.
Despite the 2005 session having ended with the bill not even coming to a vote, the stadium effort did not lose momentum in the legislature and was introduced quickly in the 2006 session. On April 6, 2006, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the stadium bill on a 103–30 vote. The house bill was nearly identical to what the university was proposing and had full university support. However on May 9, 2006, the Minnesota Senate passed a radically different version of the bill on a 34–32 vote. The Senate version would have removed the TCF naming rights deal, the student fees, and the purchase of the university owned land. The proposed funding that was removed was to be replaced with a state wide tax on sports memorabilia. It also would have required the stadium to be named Veterans Memorial Stadium (which would be similar to the previous on-campus football stadium Memorial Stadium, which was last used in 1981 and then demolished in 1992). Governor Tim Pawlenty stated he supported the House version.
Legislative approval 2006
Even though the differences between the House and Senate bills were major, the details were ironed out and approved on May 19, in a House–Senate conference committee. The TCF Bank naming rights and land sale remained in the bill, as did a scaled down $25 per year student fee. The tax on sports memorabilia as well as the Veterans Memorial Stadium name were voted out. The committee also voted to increase the state contribution to the project to compensate for the smaller student fees. The compromise bill was then approved by both the full house and senate on May 20, and was signed by Governor Tim Pawlenty on May 24.
The stadium was planned as the centerpiece of a 75-acre (.3 km²) research park called the East Gateway District on the East Bank side of the Twin Cities campus, expanding an existing precinct and adding a new Medical Biosciences Building. Sketches for the regents were available in December 2006 and as of April 2009, work on the exterior of biosciences was nearing completion.
First game
The stadium opened with a game against the Air Force Falcons on September 12, 2009, with the Gophers winning 20-13. The first conference game at "The Bank" did not turn out as well for the Gophers, as they fell to arch-rival Wisconsin for the sixth straight year, 31-28.
Funding
The stadium's cost totals $288.5 million of which the university will pay 52 percent and the state of Minnesota the remaining 48 percent. Including interest the state's cost is about $10 million per year or about $1.7 million per game for 25 years. About $50 million of the state's portion goes to the purchase of 2,840 acres (11.5 km²) of undeveloped university land, part of the Rosemount Research Center in Dakota County, over 25 years by the state of Minnesota who will assume responsibility for risks if the site requires environmental cleanup. The university retains its right to use the land for its "research, education and engagement mission" in perpetuity.
The university's share is $111 million or 52 percent. TCF Financial Corporation of Wayzata, Minnesota is contributing $35 million over 25 years in exchange for the TCF Bank naming rights and other agreements. The university projected earnings of $2.5 million per year or $96 million over the life of agreements with TCF that will include marketing debit cards to alumni and ticketholders. If unable to fulfill its contractual obligations, TCF Financial Corporation must propose an alternate name subject to the approval of the university. Other corporate donations have been pledged as well, including Best Buy ($3 million), Dairy Queen ($2.5 million), Target Corporation ($2 million), Federated Insurance, General Mills, and Norwest Equity Partners.
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community agreed to donate $10 million for stadium construction, the largest gift Gopher athletics has ever received. The university will match an additional $2.5 million to create a $5 million endowment for scholarships for Native American and low-income students. The hospitality plaza on the stadium's west side and the scholarship will be named to honor the community, and the plaza designed to "... celebrate the history, presence, and cultural contributions of all eleven Native American tribes in Minnesota".
The university is also accepting donations from individuals. Initially donations were only being sought from "high-end" donors (those contributing $100,000 or more), but in June 2008 the university expanded the fundraising effort to gather smaller donations as well. On May 21, 2009, the University announced they had received a $6 million donation from T. Denny Sanford, meaning the university had achieved its goal of $86 million in private fund raising. The remainder of the university's portion will come from a $12.50 per semester student fee ($25 per year) and game day parking revenue.
Even though the cost of building TCF Bank Stadium originated at $248.7 million, changes in the construction planning raised the cost to $288.5 million. The university has vowed that even if the stadium cost rises again, it will not seek more money from the state nor increase the student fees any further.
Location
The TCF Bank Stadium site is located on the northeast side of the Minneapolis campus, near the site of the former Memorial Stadium. The stadium's site had been the location of the Huron Boulevard Parking Complex, where the university's four largest parking lots were located. The address is 2009 University Ave S.E.
The stadium is part of a 75-acre (.3 km²) expansion of the Twin Cities campus, the largest since the West Bank was built in the 1960s. Current plans for the area call for the construction of as many as ten new academic buildings by 2015. The proposed Central Corridor light rail transit line is
TCF Bank Stadium: Parking & Transportation: Gopher Football Shuttles
Gopher Football Shuttles. On home game-days, Gopher Football Shuttles will connect parking locations on the West Bank and St. Paul campus to TCF Bank Stadium.
YouTube - TCF Bank Stadium, April 2009
TCF Bank Stadium is only a couple months away from completion at this point. This is a two-minute video tour of the stadium as it is in April, 2009.
Video: U of M marching band forms TCF Bank corporate logo ...
The University of Minnesota marching band forms the corporate logo of TCF Bank on the field at the university’s new TCF Bank Stadium in a promotional video released by the ...
TCF Bank Stadium | StarTribune.com
Complete sports news, results, stats and rosters for the University of Minnesota Gophers and the entire NCAA, from football to basketball, hockey to baseball and more, with columns ...
TCF Bank Stadium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TCF Bank Stadium (also known as The Gopher Hole) is the football stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers college football team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis ...
TCF Bank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TCF Bank is the wholly owned banking subsidiary of TCF Financial Corporation, a financial services holding company headquartered in Wayzata, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
YouTube - TCF Bank Stadium Construction Kick Off
The University of Minnesota kicked off construction of the new TCF Bank Stadium this week. President Robert Bruininks, coach Tim Brewster and other officials were on hand to give a ...
TCF BANK STADIUM How to Select Your Seats and Parking
Questions or Problems? E-mail: points@umn.edu Phone: (612) 624-8080 Or mail us at: Mariucci Arena Suite 154, 4 Oak Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455
TCF Bank Stadium open to public Oct. 4 | StarTribune.com
The University of Minnesota will show off its shiny new football stadium to the public next month
TCF Bank Stadium: About the Stadium: Financing/TCF Agreement
Partners in Excellence It takes a community to build history. A football stadium of nation-leading caliber requires commitment, broad community support, and major financial ...