By CAITLIN MURRAY
Efforts by the Minnesota Vikings to score a Major League Soccer franchise “have heated up” with the Vikings’ new soccer-suitable stadium design, the team announced this week.
The Vikings’ new stadium planned for 2016 will be designed to MLS standards with a soccer pitch included of 121 x 72 yards.
“Securing an MLS franchise for Minneapolis-St. Paul was an important issue for the Vikings, which is why the team ensured that this opportunity was included in the stadium legislation,” the team said this week in an update on plans for the new venue.
The Vikings reaffirmed their stated interest in MLS back in spring when they unveiled their new soccer-friendly stadium design.
“Major League Soccer has plans to expand to 24 teams by 2020, and conversations regarding securing a soccer team for this market have heated up between the Vikings and MLS representatives,” the Vikings team update said.
The region is already home to the Minnesota United FC of the second-tier North American Soccer League. The Vikings supported the club last year by purchasing a block of 500 tickets made available to the public for free.
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What do you think of the Vikings building soccer-specific features into their NFL stadium? Do you think Minnesota should get one of the final MLS expansion spots? Should MLS only award franchises to teams with soccer-specific stadiums?
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