Vikings get one more season in Metrodome

The Metrodome will be coming down in about a year.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority said it is officially telling the Vikings that the 2013 season will be their last in the dome.

Michele Kelm-Helgen, who chairs the authority, said Mortenson Construction, the builder of the new stadium, confirmed the team will have to play two years at TCF Bank Stadium.

"We wanted to wait for Mortenson to be on board, to have our construction company to verify what we had been hearing from our architect, which is it gets to be too expensive and our schedule could be in jeopardy if we try to leave the dome up for that extra year," Kelm-Helgen said.

Demolition of the Metrodome will proceed gradually, Kelm-Helgen said. The new stadium is scheduled to break ground near the Metrodome in October. The Vikings are expected to play at TCF Bank Stadium for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Their first preseason game in the new stadium will be August 2016.

MORE VIKINGS STADIUM COVERAGE
Preliminary stadium designs from Dallas-based HKS Inc.
Eight other Mortenson-built sports venues
New stadium may be ready for 2017 Final Four
Follow the latest developments on Stadium Watch

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