TCF Bank Stadium opened in 2009 as the home for Gophers football. But while the Gophers have been the primary tenants, the stadium has almost become just as memorable for some of the other events there.
Specifically: every time something new comes to TCF Bank Stadium, something memorable seems to happens — particularly with the weather. Check this out, in chronological order:
*First NFL game: Because of the collapse of the Metrodome roof late in the 2010 season, the Vikings ended up playing the Bears at TCF Bank Stadium on Dec. 20, 2010. Snow fell leading up to and during the game, and the temperature at the start was a chilly 24 degrees for Monday Night Football. And don't forget: this was before there were heating coils under the turf. Brett Favre was knocked out of the game after a hard hit, and it ended up being his final game in the NFL.
*First concert: In July of 2011, U2 christened The Bank with a memorable first concert. A downpour of epic proportions added to the legend of the show, as the band worked rain-themed songs — including "Singin' in the Rain" and a cover of Prince's "Purple Rain" into their mix.
*First outdoor college hockey games: An announced crowd of 45,021 shivered through TCF Bank Stadium's first outdoor college hockey games when the Gophers women and men played a double-header Jan. 17, 2014. The women started things with a 4-0 win against Minnesota State, while the men played deep into the chilly night against Ohio State and prevailed in a 1-0 victory. The temperature at the end of the second period of the men's game was 6 degrees, and anyone there would have sworn it was colder.
*First NFL playoff game: Perhaps the most memorable of all these firsts came on Jan. 10, 2016, when the Vikings hosted the Seahawks in the stadium's first NFL playoff game. The temperature at kickoff was minus-4, making it the coldest game in Vikings history and one of the coldest in NFL history. In the game itself, of course, Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal in the closing, frigid moments of a 10-9 Minnesota loss.
*First NHL outdoor game: Finally granted the chance to play outside, the Wild looked right at home on Feb. 21, 2016 in defeating the Blackhawks 6-1 in front of an announced crowd of more than 50,000 at TCF Bank Stadium. Mother Nature again decided to be part of the story: snow fell during the first period, providing picturesque moments captured on social media by pretty much every fan who was there.
*First Major League Soccer match: Not to be outdone, Minnesota United played its first ever Major League Soccer home match Sunday at The Bank. While the 6-1 loss to Atlanta was forgettable, those among the announced crowd of 35,043 won't soon forget the steady snow that fell during one of the coldest matches in MLS history.
