TCO Performance Center Opens

When Mike Zimmer was hired as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 he was undoubtedly thrilled to finally have his own team. He wasn't thrilled to find that he'd be addressing his team in a grade school-style classrooms. He wanted to be able to see all of his players in one setting, preferably with theater-style seating. Winter Park didn't have a room that size so a clunky, makeshift, temporary "room" was created with a curtain in a section of the fieldhouse. It even cut off a corner of an endzone. Very professional. Mike Zimmer has his meeting room now. He and his team have a lot more than that.

After 18 months of construction, and many more planning, the Vikings moved into their new home on Monday and showed it off yesterday. TCO Performance Center has everything a football team could want and many things that they didn't even know they wanted.

227,000-square feet facility in Eagan

Indoor Practice Facility-98 feet tall (up from Winter Park's 65 feet-punters can actually punt in this building)

65,000-square foot outdoor stadium

Four outdoor grass fields

360,000-square feet of Kentucky bluegrass that was grown in Colorado and driven 14 hours on a refrigerated truck to Minnesota

6,100-square foot weight room with cardio mezzanine

Virtually reality simulator

174-seat, theater-style auditorium (Zimmer's happy and everyone likes a happy Zimmer)

Gatorade Fuel Bar

6,500-square foot lockerroom (up from Winter Park's 4,300-square feet)

8,000-square foot training room
-orthopedic exam room, medical exam room, concussion room
-10 treatment room tables
-12 stations for foam rollers, compression devices
-hydrotherapy room with hot tub (104 degrees), cold tub (55 degrees), and underwater treadmill
-electronic cryotherapy room (with temperatures dropping as cold as -196 degrees-or close to weather outside)
-chiropractic room
-2 massage rooms

"The Huddle"-6,900-square foot cafeteria (up form Winter Park's 2,400-square foot"snack bar")

Draft Room-the room sports 40 55-inch screens fitted together to form one giant touchscreen. No more magnets.

Bud Grant's Office-I love that the iconic coach is still a consultant for the team and has this beautiful office.

Memorabilia, art, and photos honoring the Vikings past-Some teams don't respect their past as they should. It's always pleased me that the Vikings do.

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While everyone involved with the team is thrilled with the new facility and it's spectacular amenities, Equipment Manager Dennis Ryan, Head Athletic Trainer Eric Sugarman, and Head Strength and Conditioning coach Mark Uyeyama probably dig it the most. Ryan in particular. He's been dealing with Vikings equipment since before Winter Park. He's seen the days when the team didn't even have their own dedicated spaces. Now, he has a locker room palace. He's moved the team to training camp in Mankato every summer for five decades. He no longer has to do that. The Vikings will be holding training camp in Eagan moving forward. There's no need to leave. They have everything they need, and more, at their new home. 

Now, it's team-building time. The players that the Vikings already have are looking forward to  football work in their new home. And TCO Performance Center is sure to impress any player considering a future with the Vikings.