One Last Time

The Minnesota Vikings announced yesterday that their upcoming training camp will be their last at Minnesota State University-Mankato. It was an expected announcement as the team's sprawling, new practice facility, Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, in Eagan is expected to be completed in March. The Vikings will be holding their training camps there starting next summer.

This will be the 52nd year that the Vikings have packed up their football gear and traveled south to Mankato for training camp. They are one of 12 teams that still get away from their home for the hot football days of summer. Their first five training camps (1961-65) were held at Bemidji State. Mankato has been their training camp home since 1966. A great Vikings tradition and close relationship with a college town are coming to an end.

"Over the past 52 years we have formed incredible relationships with Minnesota State University, Mankato, the city of Mankato, and the entire community, and those partnerships made this decision difficult," Vikings executive Kevin Warren said. "With our increased space and amenities, the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center will give our players, coaches and staff the best opportunity to succeed, and we feel hosting training camp at our new home is the proper move for the organization and the Vikings fans."

It's the proper move but it's a sad one. There's a lot of stories in those 52 years. Equipment manager Dennis Ryan has been packing up the Vikings for their annual trek to Mankato since 1977. His job gets easier next summer.

The Vikings plan to recognize the Mankato training camp finale in several special ways.

Fans will receiver a free commemorative poster and this year's Training Camp Playbook will celebrate camp history.

The Vikings are also planning to endowing a scholarship at Mankato State. There will be a special event at the night practice on August 5 as well as a "thank-you ceremony" for partners on August 7.

It's often hard to see a fine and fun tradition come to an end but it's not done yet. The Vikings 52nd Mankato training camp opens Sunday with the arrival of the rookies and select veterans. The rest of the team arrives three days later.