Today, more of the necessary improvements to make TCF Bank Stadium ready for the Minnesota Vikings this year are underway. Right now, the stadium is undergoing a major transformation that will have a huge impact on the games late in the year.
Heating coils are being placed under the FieldTurf at The Gopher Hole to make sure that teams don’t suffer too many injuries on the hard ground underneath the playing surface.
Oct 5, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers mascot Goldy during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
If you remember back to last time the Vikings played at TCF Bank Stadium, players and coaches complained as to how hard the playing surface was and said that it was nearly unplayable upon when the temperature got really low. They went on to say that making impact with the unforgiving ground could increase the probability of injuries when playing at the stadium. The installation of these heating coils will help prevent those kinds of injuries and make the playing surface feel much closer to that of an indoor stadium.
While some football purists scoff at the idea of putting heating coils under the turf of a field, it is a necessary precaution. Since the Minnesota Vikings will be using this stadium for the next two years, they need to make sure that they have it up to the standards of a normal NFL football field.
The heating coils are just one of a large number of upgrades that are being made to TCF Bank stadium. Hopefully, enough upgrades can be made to make the stadium feel like home for the Minnesota Vikings and their fans. As an added bonus, the University of Minnesota’s football team will now have these upgrades available to them as well.