Dome fix delay will affect hundreds of games

Hundreds of college baseball games and the Twins Fest won't be held at the Metrodome this winter.

Metrodome officials say the venue's collapsed roof won't be fixed until sometime in March. The Metrodome roof collapsed during a snowstorm December 12th.

About 300 baseball games were scheduled in the dome in February and March -- including about 40 University of Minnesota games and 250 small college games.

"Virtually every single college in the five-state area that offers a baseball team and community colleges as well all the way from Montana into Wisconsin, they all play games in the Metrodome in the early winter," said Bill Lester of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.

Lester said they are in the process of assessing the roof and determining how long it could take to replace the damaged panels.

"There was no scenario under which that could be completed before the end of March," he said, "so we felt it was in our best interest to work with the users."

The Minnesota Twins are expected to announce an alternate venue for their event, which is scheduled for the end of January.