U.S. Bank Stadium Doors Subject To Retractable Roof Rules

A couple of weeks ago, we highlighted a piece that was put on SI.com about U.S. Bank Stadium and its construction. In that post, I wondered whether or not the massive doors that will serve as the main entrance to the stadium would be subject to the same rules as retractable roofs in the NFL stadiums that have them.

Well, someone who is not me took a moment to do some research on this matter. It turns out that I might have been onto something there after all.

Per David McCoy of WCCO, the National Football League informed the Minnesota Vikings back in May that the massive doors would be governed by the same rules that govern retractable roofs. That means that the team needs to make a decision 90 minutes before kickoff about whether the doors will be closed during a game or if they would remain open.

The U.S. Bank Stadium doors are the largest pivoting glass doors in the world. They measure 55 feet across and anywhere from 75 to 95 feet tall. The team has said that they would likely have the doors closed during games when the weather outside is colder, but would consider keeping them open for some of the early season contests.

There are four stadiums in the NFL that have retractable roofs: University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinals), AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), NRG Stadium (Houston Texans), and Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts). Both AT&T Stadium and Lucas Oil Stadium have movable wall features as well.

If you were hoping for something similar to the (alleged) tomfoolery that went on at the Meadowlands back in the day, it appears that the NFL has already put the kibosh on that.