Could 2017 Be The Vikings’ Last Training Camp In Mankato?

Every summer since 1966, the Minnesota Vikings have made their way to Minnesota State University in Mankato (or Mankato State, as it was formerly called) to hold their annual Training Camp in preparation for the upcoming NFL season. They’re set to arrive for this season’s camp in late July, and it could be the final time they do their preseason preparations in Mankato.

Today, reporters got a tour of the progress that is being made at the Vikings’ new facility in Eagan, which will be called the Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center. The team’s operations are set to move from Winter Park in March of 2018, and it sounds like the team could be moving Training Camp there starting in 2018 as well.

According to the story from WCCO in Minneapolis, the Vikings have a contract to hold camp in Mankato through the 2018 season, but COO Kevin Warren stated that the deal could be “revisited in December.” Warren also said that a site switch would be possible in terms of logistics for 2018, but that no formal decision has been made yet.

I know that going to Mankato has become a huge thing for fans of the Vikings every year, and the city of Mankato loves having the team in town for those few weeks of camp. Personally, I haven’t had the opportunity to get to Mankato for camp, and now it appears as though I’m going to miss my opportunity to do so. Damn it.

Also, neither “Mr. Eagan” nor “Mr. Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center” has nearly the ring to it that “Mr. Mankato” does, so there’s that.

Have you managed to get to Mankato for Vikings Training Camp in the past? If this is the last season, are you planning on making the trip this year?