Minnesota Vikings stadium hosts vaccination event in Minneapolis

Last year was a sad year for Minnesota Vikings fans hoping to see their favorite team play at U.S. Bank Stadium. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, people were not allowed in the stands to root for the purple and gold and it made for some very disappointed followers of the team.

This year could be different. A statement has already been made by Roger Goodell that he expects full stadiums for the 2021 NFL season and some of the steps being taken by individuals as well as the government have things moving in the right direction to make that a reality.

Recently, the official Twitter account of the Minnesota Vikings shared some photos from inside U.S. Bank Stadium showing some people getting their COVID-19 vaccinations during the four-day event. Previously, the shots were available with an appointment at the other home of the Vikings, TCO Performance Center, but had to be moved due to weather damage.

Here is that post from Twitter showing the clinic inside the stadium:

Why should Minnesota Vikings fans care about fan attendance?

Getting butts in seats has to be a priority for the Minnesota Vikings as well as the NFL. The league missed out on a ton of revenue from tickets, merchandise, concessions, and more by not being able to admit fans into stadiums. This translated into a lower salary cap for the 2021 NFL season and put the team in a pickle when it came to signing high-profile free agents.

Not only that, but there was a significant difference in Minnesota’s home record without screaming fans in attendance. 2020 was the first season since 2011 to see the team have a losing record on their home field.

To put things in perspective, the Vikings only won three of their eight games at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2020 for a win percentage of 37.5 percent. Prior to that, Minnesota was 23-32 in front of their home crowd for a win rate of 71.9%.

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At this point, it is hard to know what requirements will be placed on fans attending Minnesota Vikings games held at U.S. Bank Stadium or if the stadium will be allowed to be at full capacity, but it is nice to see steps being taken to make a return to normalcy possible.