Minnesota Vikings
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football
team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. The Vikings joined the National Football League
(NFL) as an expansion team
in 1960. They compete in the North Division
of the National Football Conference
(NFC), previously the Western Conference Central Division and the NFC Central Division.
The Vikings have played their home games at the Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
in Minneapolis since 1982
. The Metrodome has recently been renamed to Mall of America Field. Prior to 1982, the team had called Metropolitan Stadium
in suburban Bloomington
home since their inaugural season of 1961
. The Vikings conducted summer training camp at Bemidji State University
from 1961–65; in 1966, they moved their training camp to Minnesota State University
in Mankato
, where it has been ever since.
Throughout the Vikings' history, they have had one of the highest winning percentages in the NFL. They are also one of only five NFL teams to win 15 games during the regular season. The Vikings have won one NFL championship, in 1969
, prior to the league's merger with the American Football League
(AFL). Since the merger, they have made the playoffs 24 times, third most in the league. The team has played in four Super Bowls, but lost each time. The team currently has ten members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
: Fran Tarkenton
, Alan Page
, Bud Grant
, Jim Finks
, Paul Krause
, Ron Yary
, Carl Eller
, Gary Zimmerman
, Randall McDaniel
and John Randle
.
were awarded a franchise in the new American Football League
(AFL). Five months later in January 1960, after significant pressure from the NFL, the ownership group, along with Bernie Ridder, reneged on its agreement with the AFL and then was awarded the National Football League's 14th franchise with play to begin in 1961. Ole Haugsrud
was added to the NFL team ownership because of it had the most talented players in NFL since the 1920s when he sold his Duluth Eskimos team back to the league. The agreement allowed him 10% of any future Minnesota team. Coincidentally or not, the teams from Ole Haugsrud's high school, Central High School in Superior, WI, were also called the Vikings and their school colors were similarly purple and yellow.
s on September 27, 1960; the name is partly meant to reflect Minnesota's place as a center of Scandinavian American
culture. From the start, the Vikings embraced an energetic marketing program that produced a first-year season ticket sales of nearly 26,000 and an average home attendance of 34,586, about 85 percent of the capacity of 40,800 for Metropolitan Stadium
. Eventually Met Stadium capacity was increased to 47,900. The search for the first head coach had the team court then-Northwestern University
head coach Ara Parseghian
, who according to Minneapolis Star writer Jim Klobuchar
—the Vikings' first beat reporter for that newspaper—visited team management in the Twin Cities
under the condition that his visit was to be kept secret from his current employer. His cover was blown by local columnist Sid Hartman
who reported the visit and forced Parseghian to issue denials. Philadelphia Eagles
assistant Nick Skorich and a man with Minnesota ties who was working in the CFL
, Bud Grant
, were also candidates until a different Eagle, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin
, was hired on January 18, 1961. Van Brocklin had just finished his career as a player on a high note, having defeated the Green Bay Packers
in the NFL Championship Game
.
With the first overall selection in the 1961 NFL Draft
, the Vikings selected running back Tommy Mason
of Tulane
. They took a young quarterback from the University of Georgia
named Fran Tarkenton
in the third round. Notable veterans acquired in the offseason were George Shaw
and Hugh McElhenny
. The Vikings won their first regular season game, defeating the Chicago Bears
37–13 on Opening Day . Tarkenton came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes and run for another to lead the upset. Reality set in as the expansion team lost its next seven games on their way to a 3–11 record. The losing continued throughout much of the 60s as the Vikings had a combined record of 32 wins, 59 losses, and 7 ties in their first 7 seasons with only one winning season (8–5–1 in 1964).
On March 7, 1967, quarterback Fran Tarkenton
was traded to the New York Giants
for a 1st and 2nd-round draft choice in 1967, a 1st-round choice in 1968 and a 2nd-round choice in 1969. With the picks Minnesota selected Clinton Jones and Bob Grim
in 1967, Ron Yary
in 1968 and Ed White in 1969. Three days later on March 10, the Vikings hired new head coach Bud Grant
to replace Van Brocklin, who had resigned on February 11, 1967. Grant came to the Vikings from the Canadian Football League
as head coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
, who he led to four Grey Cup Championships in 10 years. During the late 1960s, the Vikings were building a powerful defense known as the Purple People Eaters
, led by Alan Page
, Carl Eller
, Gary Larsen
, and Jim Marshall
. In , that stingy defense earned the Vikings their first Central Division title and their first playoff berth.
In the Vikings
went 12–2, the best record in the NFL, and had 12 straight regular season victories, after a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, which was the longest single-season winning streak in 35 years. The Vikings defeated the Cleveland Browns
, 27–7, in the last NFL Championship Game
on Jan. 4, 1970, at Metropolitan Stadium. Minnesota became the first modern NFL expansion team to win an NFL Championship Game, and earned a berth in Super Bowl IV
. The heavily favored Vikings lost that game to the Kansas City Chiefs
23–7.
given by the Associated Press
. He was the first defensive player to win the award.
On January 27, the Vikings
traded Norm Snead
, Bob Grim, Vince Clements and a 1st-round draft choice in 1972 and 1973 to the New York Giants to reacquire the popular Fran Tarkenton. While the acquisitions of Tarkenton and wide receiver John Gilliam
improved the passing attack, the running game was inconsistent and the Vikings finished with a disappointing 7–7 record. The Vikings addressed the problem by drafting running back Chuck Foreman
with their first pick in the 1973 draft
. Co-owner Bill Boyer died on February 19, 1973 and was replaced on the team's board of directors by his son-in-law Jack Steele.
The Vikings
won their first 9 games of and finished the season with a 12–2 record. The Vikings then advanced to their second Super Bowl in franchise history, Super Bowl VIII
, against the Miami Dolphins
at Rice Stadium
in Houston, Texas
. However, the Dolphins prevailed, 24–7.
The Vikings
won the Central Division again in with a 10–4 record, which was a tie for the best record in the conference. In the playoffs they built on their cold weather reputation, defeating both the St. Louis Cardinals
30–14 and the Los Angeles Rams
14–10 in frozen Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings played in their second straight Super Bowl, Super Bowl IX
(3rd overall), losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers
, 16–6, at Tulane Stadium
in New Orleans on January 12, 1975.
In , the Vikings
, led by Tarkenton and running back Chuck Foreman
, got off to a 10–0 start and easily won another division title. However, the Vikings lost to the Dallas Cowboys
in the playoffs, 17–14, on a controversial touchdown pass from the Cowboys' quarterback Roger Staubach
to wide receiver Drew Pearson
that became known as the Hail Mary
. The touchdown was controversial because many felt that Pearson pushed off on Vikings defensive back
Nate Wright
, which is pass interference
and a violation of the rules. As the Metropolitan Stadium crowd was stunned to learn that no penalty was called, debris was thrown on the field for several minutes. A Corby's Whiskey bottle struck game official, Armen Terzian
, rendering him unconscious.
The Vikings
played in Super Bowl XI
, their third Super Bowl (4th overall) in 4 years, against the Oakland Raiders
at the Rose Bowl
in Pasadena, California
,on January 9, 1977. The Vikings, however, couldn't break their bad luck in the Super Bowl. Minnesota lost, 32–14.
In , the Vikings
again won the Central Division with a 9–5 record and advanced to their 4th NFC Championship Game in 5 years, but were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Cowboys
, 23–6, at Texas Stadium
.
By , age was taking its toll on the Vikings
, but they still made the playoffs with an 8–7–1 record. There was no more playoff magic as the Rams
finally defeated the Vikings, 34–10 in Los Angeles after having lost in their previous four playoff matchups (in 1969, '74, '76 and '77). Quarterback Fran Tarkenton retired following the season holding league passer records in attempts (6,467), completions (3,686), yards (47,003), and touchdowns (342).
In December 1979, ground was broken for construction of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
in downtown Minneapolis.
that houses the team's offices, locker room and practice fields. The complex was named "Winter Park" after Max Winter, one of the Vikings' founders, who served as the team's president from 1965 to 1987. The Vikings played their final game at Metropolitan Stadium on December 20 to conclude the 1981 NFL season
by losing to the Kansas City Chiefs
, 10–6.
The Vikings played their first game at the Metrodome in a preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks
on August 21, 1982 in a game Minnesota won, 7–3. The first touchdown in the new facility was scored by Joe Senser
on an 11 yard pass from Tommy Kramer
. The first regular-season game in the Metrodome was the 1982 opener on September 12, when the Vikings defeated Tampa Bay
, 17–10. Rickey Young
scored the first regular-season touchdown in the facility on a 3 yard run in the 2nd quarter.
On January 27, 1984, Bud Grant retired as head coach of the Vikings. With a career regular-season record of 151–87–5 (.632) in 17 seasons with Minnesota, Grant led the franchise to 12 playoff appearances, 11 division titles, and four Super Bowls. Les Steckel
, who was an offensive assistant with the Vikings for 5 seasons, was then named the 3rd head coach in franchise history. Steckel, who came to the Vikings in 1979 after working as an assistant with the 49ers, was the youngest head coach in the NFL in 1984 at age 38. However, the Vikings lost a franchise-worst 13 games. After the season Steckel was fired, and on December 18, 1984, Bud Grant was rehired as the head coach of the Vikings.
On January 6, 1986, following the 1985 season
, Bud Grant re-retired as head coach of the Vikings. At the time of his retirement he was the 6th winningest coach in NFL history with 168 career wins, including playoffs. In 18 seasons, he led the Vikings to a 158–96–5 regular season record. Longtime Vikings assistant coach Jerry Burns
was named the 4th head coach in team history on January 7, 1986. He served as the Vikings' offensive coordinator from 1968–85, when the team won 11 division titles and played in 4 Super Bowls. In his first season, the Vikings
led by the NFL Comeback Player of the Year
Tommy Kramer, went 9–7, their first winning record in 4 years. On August 2, 1986, Fran Tarkenton was the first player who played the majority of his career with the Vikings to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Following the strike-shortened 1987 season
, the 8–7 Vikings
—who had finished 8–4 in regular games but 0–3 using strike-replacement players—pulled two upsets in the playoffs by beating the two teams with the best regular season records. They beat the 12–3 New Orleans Saints
, 44–10, at the Louisiana Superdome
in the Wild Card Playoff game. The following week, in the Divisional Playoff game, they beat the 13–2 San Francisco 49ers
, 36–24, at Candlestick Park. During that game Anthony Carter
set the all-time record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 227 yards. The Vikings played the Washington Redskins
in the NFC Championship Game on January 17, 1988, at RFK Stadium. Trailing 17–10, the Vikings drove to the Redskins' six yard line with a little over a minute left in the game but failed to get the ball into the end zone. Redskins cornerback Darrell Green
broke up a pass at the goal line from Wade Wilson intended for Darrin Nelson
to end the Vikings' hopes of a Super Bowl.
On October 12, 1989, the Vikings acquired
Herschel Walker
from Dallas. The final result of the trade gave the Vikings Walker, third-round choice Mike Jones, fifth-round choice Reggie Thornton and tenth-round choice Pat Newman in 1990 and a third-round choice in 1991 Jake Reed
, while Dallas received Issiac Holt, David Howard, Darrin Nelson, Jesse Solomon, Alex Stewart, a 1st, 2nd and 6th-round choice in 1990, 1st and 2nd-round choices in 1991 and a 1st, 2nd and 3rd-round choice in 1992. Two of those selections turned into Emmitt Smith
and Darren Woodson
. Herschel's performance fell short of expectations in his three seasons with the Vikings, while the Cowboys rode their draft picks to three Super Bowl victories in the early to mid 1990s.
was later named the fifth Head Coach in team history. He came to Minnesota after turning around a struggling Stanford University football program
as head coach from 1989–91. In his 10 seasons as the coach of the Vikings, Green won 4 NFC Central division titles, had 8 playoff appearances, 2 NFC Championship game appearances and an all-time record of 97–62. With over 100 wins counting playoffs. The Vikings therefore had the fifth highest winning percentage during the regular season in the 1990s.
was a year to remember for the franchise. With a spectacular offense led by quarterback Randall Cunningham
(who replaced an injured Brad Johnson
), running back Robert Smith
, veteran wide receiver Cris Carter
, and explosive rookie Randy Moss
, the Vikings set a then-NFL record by scoring a total of 556 points, never scoring fewer than 24 in a game. The Vikings finished the season 15–1, their only loss was to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27–24 in Week 9. In the playoffs, the Vikings rolled past the Arizona Cardinals
41–21, and came into the Metrodome heavily favored for their NFC title showdown with the Atlanta Falcons
, who had gone 14–2 in the regular season. After kicker Gary Anderson, who had just completed the first perfect regular season in NFL history (not missing a single extra point or field goal attempt the entire year), missed a 38-yard field goal attempt with less than 2 minutes remaining, the Falcon's ensuing drive tied the game. This led to a controversial decision by head coach Dennis Green to run out the clock and let the game go onto overtime. Though the Vikings won the coin toss, Atlanta went on to win it 30–27 in overtime on Morten Andersen
's 38-yard field goal. The Vikings became the first 15–1 team to fail to reach the Super Bowl. The Falcons lost Super Bowl XXXIII
to John Elway
and the Denver Broncos
.
was given the starting job. He finished the season with an 8–2 record, and led the Vikings into the postseason once again, with an overall team record of 10–6. Minnesota beat Dallas
in the Wild Card game 27–10, and faced playoff newcomer Kurt Warner
and the St. Louis Rams
in the Divisional matchup. The game was a shootout which Minnesota led 17–14 at halftime, but the Rams outscored Minnesota 35–20 in the second half to win 49–37. St. Louis would go on to win Super Bowl XXXIV
.
, the Vikings went 11–5. The Vikings were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the Rams
, Packers
and Colts
while starting quarterback
Daunte Culpepper
was hampered by injury. Nonetheless, the Vikings made the playoffs for the fifth straight year. After easily beating the Saints
in the Divisional game 34–16, they traveled to New York
to face the Giants
in the NFC Championship Game. Though they were the road team, the Vikings were actually favored to win the game (since most considered their 11–2 record with Culpepper more indicative than their 0–3 record when he was out). But the Vikings were humiliated by the Giants 41–0, the worst playoff loss in franchise history. Robert Smith, who ran for a team record (and NFC best) 1521 yards that season, retired at the end of the year after only playing eight NFL seasons.
, after a disappointing 5–11 season, the Vikings bought out the contract of Dennis Green
, despite his successful coaching tenure with the team. Mike Tice
coached the final game of 2001, losing to the Ravens
19–3. Tice was named the permanent coach after the season, but he would not lead the Vikings back to the playoffs until 2004.
During the 2003 season
, the Vikings
came close to getting into the playoffs. However, the Arizona Cardinals
completed a game winning touchdown on 4th and 28 with 0:00 left knocking the Vikings out of the playoffs. The moment of Arizona's touchdown was actually the first moment the entire season in which the Vikings hadn't led their division. The Vikings became the second team in football history to miss the playoffs after getting off to a 6–0 start. The first team was the 1978 Washington Redskins
.
In 2004
, Daunte Culpepper
amassed MVP-like statistics, throwing for 4,717 passing yards (leading the NFL), 39 passing touchdowns (a Viking record), and 5,123 total yards (an NFL record). In the wild card game, the Vikings defeated the rival Green Bay Packers
in their first-ever playoff meeting, 31–17. In doing so, the Vikings became the second team in NFL history to have a .500 record (8–8) in the regular season and win a playoff game (The St. Louis Rams
did the same thing only a day earlier). In the divisional round, the Vikings were defeated by the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles
.
On March 2, 2005, Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris
and the Raiders' first round draft pick. After struggling to a disappointing 2–5 start to the 2005 season
, Vikings lost quarterback Daunte Culpepper to a season-ending knee injury. This injury was a very significant part to this Minnesota Vikings team due to the fact they also lost Moss. The dynamic duo from years earlier were now lost and a new leader would eventually emerge. The Vikings finished the 2005 season with a 9–7 record. However, this season would be more notable for off-the-field events. In October, 17 team members were part of a party of about 90 that went out on a pleasure cruise on local Lake Minnetonka
. The incident erupted into scandal when media reported that a number of the players had performed sex acts and that prostitutes
had been flown in. Four players were ultimately charged with misdemeanors related to the party.
Head Coach Mike Tice was let go after the 2005 season and was replaced by Brad Childress
. This was one of many significant front office moves made by the new ownership team, led by Zygi Wilf.
began the 2006 season
4–2 (Childress became the first coach in Vikings history to start 2–0 in his first year), but would finish the year at 6–10, receiving the 7th pick in the NFL Draft
; with it, the Vikings selected Adrian Peterson out of the University of Oklahoma
. He is known as a powerhorse back with extreme speed.
Peterson's first career touchdown was a 60-yard screen pass in his first career game against the Atlanta Falcons. When the Minnesota Vikings played the Chicago Bears
in the first of their two games, Peterson broke the record for single game All-Purpose (rushing, receiving, kick returning) yards (361 total yards, 224 rushing). In Week 9 of the 2007 season, Peterson broke the NFL record set by Jamal Lewis
in 2003 for most rushing yards in one game by rushing for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers. Despite a strong push in the middle of the 2007 season, winning five straight games, the Vikings lost their final two games to finish the season at 8–8, missing the playoffs. In Week 13 of the 2008 season
against the Bears
, Gus Frerotte
hooked up with Bernard Berrian
for a 99-yard touchdown pass after a goal line stand by the Vikings defense. This was the longest play in Vikings history. That season, Adrian Peterson led the NFL with 1760 rushing yards, breaking the franchise record for most single season rush yards. The Vikings clinched the NFC North
championship for the first time after defeating the New York Giants
20–19 in Week 17, when kicker Ryan Longwell
made the game-winning field goal. Adrian Peterson had 19 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown in this game.
On January 4, 2009, the NFC North champion Vikings hosted the Philadelphia Eagles
for the Wild Card round, their first home playoff game in eight years. The Vikings held the Eagles 14–16 at halftime, but the Eagles, coming off of a 44–6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys
, defeated the Vikings, 26–14. The Eagles would go on to defeat the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the Divisional round, only to lose to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game.
Since 2006, the Vikings have been known especially for their strong run defense(#1 in the NFL in 2006, 2007, and 2008; they are the first NFL team to accomplish this since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970), anchored by the Williams Wall consisting of defensive tackle Kevin Williams and nose tackle Pat Williams (no relation). With the addition of sack-leader Jared Allen
in 2008 the dominant front four began being called by several nicknames, including "Thunder and Plunder" and "Shock and AWWE" (an acronym of their surname initials). As well known as the "Great Wall of Purple" & "The 4 Norsemen".
Brett Favre
, who until 2007 played 16 years for division arch rival Green Bay Packers
, signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Vikings, starting what many Vikings fans refer to as "The Brett Favre Era". Favre is universally acknowledged to be a future Hall of Fame player, holding many NFL career passing records. Coincidentally, in 2007, he broke the record for career touchdown passes (previously held by Dan Marino
with 421) in the Metrodome while playing for the Packers.
On October 5, 2009, the Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers as Favre played his former team for the first time. With a 30–23 victory on Monday Night Football
, the Vikings moved to a 4–0 record. Favre became the only player in NFL history to defeat all 32 current teams as a starter. The Atlanta Falcons had defeated the Packers in a 1991 game which Favre did not participate. Over 21.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the game, beating the previous record for a cable television
program set by a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 (18.6 million viewers).
The Vikings beat the New York Giants, 44–7, in Week 17 to help the Vikings clinch the 2nd seed in the conference and a 1st round-bye with an Eagles loss later that same day. The Vikings ended with a 12–4 record, their best record since 2000 and the first 11-plus win season since the record-setting 1998 season. The Vikings played the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round on January 17, 2010, and won the game by a score of 34–3, advancing the Vikings to the NFC Championship game, the ninth in franchise history and first since 2001. Minnesota would travel to New Orleans the following week to face the top-seeded Saints in the first conference championship game held at the Superdome
. Despite out-gaining the Saints on offense by nearly a twofold margin, the Vikings were severely hindered by five turnovers, including a Favre interception in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter (in Saints territory). They were ousted in overtime, 31–28, on a 40-yard field goal after losing the coin toss.
In the first week of the 2010 NFL regular season, the Vikings played the defending Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings lost 14–9. In week 2, the Vikings played the Miami Dolphins and lost 14–10. The Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions 24–10 in the third week of the season. After a week four bye-week, the Vikings received star wide receiver Randy Moss in a trade with the New England Patriots. Even with the addition of Moss, the Vikings lost to the New York Jets 29–20 in week five. The Vikings won a crucial victory against another struggling team in the form of the Dallas Cowboys 24–21, but in week seven the Vikings lost to arch-rival Green Bay Packers 28–24. In week nine, the Vikings played the Arizona Cardinals at home and won 27–24 in overtime. Favre threw for a career-high 446 passing yards. The Vikings then went on to face their other divisional rival the Chicago Bears
but were beaten and then went on to be blown out 31–3 in a rematch with the Packers. The team then proceeded to fire Brad Childress not long after. With Leslie Frazier filling in for the fired Childress, the Vikings won two games in a row against the Washington Redskins
on the road, and a blowout win over the Buffalo Bills
at home.
After a winter storm dropped nearly 17 inches of snow in the Minneapolis/St Paul area the Saturday prior to the Vikings December 12 home game versus the New York Giants
and 30 mph gusts drove snow removers off the dome's roof overnight, several panels were damaged as the weight of the snow caused the roof to collapse. After viewing the damage, Vikings management and the NFL decided to move the game to Monday and play it at Ford Field
in Detroit, Michigan. Because of on-going repairs to the roof of the Metrodome, the Vikings played their December 20 game versus the Chicago Bears
at TCF Bank Stadium
(the home of the University of Minnesota
Golden Gophers
). The game was played 29 years to the day after the last outdoor game at old Met Stadium. On December 26, the NFL announced that the game versus the Philadelphia Eagles
was being postponed to Tuesday, December 28, 2010 because of blizzard conditions
. This marks the third consecutive venue or date change for a Vikings game and was the first NFL game played on a Tuesday since 1946. The Vikings proceeded to upset the dynamic Eagles offense, led by a resurgent Michael Vick
, 24–14 with rookie Joe Webb
at the helm. The Vikings finished the season with a 20–13 loss against the Detroit Lions.
, Minnesota ended the 2010 season with a 6–10 record and a last place finish in the NFC North. During the season, the Vikings had many distractions, including trading for Randy Moss
and then waiving him only a month later, Brett Favre
's NFL investigation for allegedly sending inappropriate text messages to Jets' employee Jenn Sterger
while he was with the team in 2008, the Metrodome's collapse and resulting venue changes, and finally head coach Brad Childress
' firing on November 22 following a 31–3 loss at the hands of the rival Green Bay Packers
.
After serving as the interim head coach for the final six games of the season (finishing with a 3–3 record), defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier
was officially named the head coach on January 3, 2011, after signing a three-year contract. On January 17, Brett Favre retired for the third, and officially last, time, leaving the team in search for a long term replacement at the quarterback position. Wasting no time after being appointed head coach, Frazier began to restructure the team's coaching staff, including letting go of offensive coordinator
Darrell Bevell
and hiring Mike Singletary
as linebackers coach
and Bill Musgrave
as the new offensive coordinator. Their first round draft pick was Christian Ponder
, a QB from Florida State University
.
The team is currently owned by Zygi Wilf, Mark Wilf
, Jeffrey Wilf, Leonard Wilf, David Mandelbaum, Alan Landis and Reggie Fowler
.
From the team's debut in 1961 to 1995, the Vikings' logos and uniforms essentially remained the same. Reflecting Minnesota's Scandinavian cultural heritage, one of the team's two primary logos consists of a profile of a blond norseman, while the other consists of a white Viking horn.
The team's helmet is purple with a Viking horn logo on each side. Each horn is outlined in gold. The horn logo was slightly revised in 2006. The original uniform design consisted of white pants, gold trim, and either purple or white jerseys. From 1962 to 1964, the Vikings wore purple pants with their white jerseys (The Vikings, with their new uniform, still wear, on occasion, purple pants with yellow and white trim). In a design that was unique among American football teams, the white jerseys had a completely different stripe pattern, which was over the shoulders, than the purple ones, which was around the sleeve cuff. These unique shoulder stripes on the white jerseys did not appear until 1969, the year they went to their first Super Bowl. There have also been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the color of the facemask from gray to white (1980), and then to purple (1985); and adding the Norseman logo to the sleeves (1996). The Vikings wore black shoes until Les Steckel became the coach in 1984. In 2006 team returned to black shoes for first time since the 1983 season.
From 1969 through 1973, the Vikings had an alternate purple jersey without stripes for warm-weather games.
The team's uniforms were redesigned in 2006, the first significant change in the franchise's 46-year history. Although the team colors remained the same, trim lines were added to the outside shoulders and sleeves, and the sides of the jerseys and pants. In addition the horn on the helmet was slightly more defined. Included in the new design are both white and purple pants, the purple pants have not been regularly used since 2007, but resurfaced twice in 2010.
The team wore black armbands for the last four games in 1978 in memory of Jack "Jocko" Nelson, an assistant coach who died during the season. In 1985 the team wore a 25 years patch on their jerseys. In 1989, they wore a "40 for 60" patch honoring the 1969 NFL championship team. They wore a 35 years patch in 1995, 40 years in 2000 and 45 years in 2005. They also wore patches in 1999 for assistant coach Chip Myers
who died in the offseason and in 2001 for Korey Stringer
. The Vikings like the other teams wore NFL 50 and 75 year patches in 1969 and 1994.
. This allowed fans to see the visiting teams' primary colors. In the 1960s the Vikings wore purple pants with road white jerseys. On October 11, 1964 the Vikings played the Detroit Lions
at Metropolitan Stadium
and the Lions mistakenly only brought their white jerseys to Minnesota. Both teams started the game in white, but by the second quarter the Vikings were able to obtain their purple tops. The Vikings changed jerseys on the sidelines during the 2nd quarter, finishing the game in purple jerseys and purple pants. It wasn't until 43 years later, on December 17, 2007 (a Monday Night Football game versus the Chicago Bears) that the Vikings again donned both purple jerseys and purple pants. Three years later, the Vikings played the November 7, 2010 home game against the Arizona Cardinals in the all-purple uniform.
is Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch). Ragnar has been working for the Vikings since 1994 and claims to be the most widely-recognized mascot in the world. Juranitch admits to being somewhat of an eccentric
—he holds the current world record for fastest time shaving a beard
with an axe
, but hasn't shaved his beard since he won the Ragnar job among 3,000 applicants. Ragnar drives onto the field at the beginning of the game dressed in Viking garb, on a motorcycle, while a cheerleader used to ride a snowmobile. Although never one to shy away from confrontations with opposing players, notably Ochocinco, he had a soft spot for Brett Favre
while the quarterback started for the rival Green Bay Packers
.
After several failed attempts at developing an official team-owned mascot, the Vikings finally introduced Viktor the Viking during the 2007 Vikings' season. Team officials had long indicated that they were after a mascot concept that would primarily appeal to the team's younger fan base. Viktor the Viking, a muscle-bound, blond-haired and mustachioed character wears a Vikings' #1 jersey and an oversized Vikings' helmet with protruding horns and a small yellow nose guard.
Another mascot associated with the Vikings was "Vikadontis Rex", a purple foam dinosaur. Vikadontis was the official mascot of the Minnesota Vikings Children's Fund and took part in the 1995 Celebrity Mascot Olympics. Vikadontis was retired starting with the 2000 season. The team also had an NFL Huddles mascot in the mid 1980s, (somewhat similar to Viktor the Viking). Krazy George was also employed as a cheerleader from 1982 to 1985.
warriors. The original Helga Hats are still hand assembled in the Twin Cities area.
is loudly played and sounds often after the team has made a big play, gets a first down, or scores a touchdown. The team will also use the horn during its pre-game ceremonies. In addition, a flash cannon fires upon Vikings touchdowns.
The horn sounds the interval of a minor 6th in western music.
italics = played a portion of career with the Vikings and enshrined representing another team
-AM (1130). The games are also heard on the "KFAN Radio Network" in Minnesota
, Wisconsin
, Iowa
, South Dakota
, and North Dakota
, as well as many other outlets. Paul Allen has been the play-by-play announcer since the 2002 NFL season
and Pete Bercich
is the analyst, who began his first season in 2007.
Telecasts of preseason games not shown on national networks are aired on KARE
(Channel 11) in the Twin Cities with Ari Wolfe
doing play-by-play.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The Vikings joined the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
in 1960. They compete in the North Division
NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
of the National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
(NFC), previously the Western Conference Central Division and the NFC Central Division.
The Vikings have played their home games at the Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in Minneapolis since 1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
. The Metrodome has recently been renamed to Mall of America Field. Prior to 1982, the team had called Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
in suburban Bloomington
Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...
home since their inaugural season of 1961
1961 NFL season
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...
. The Vikings conducted summer training camp at Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It is a part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities .-History:BSU was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School...
from 1961–65; in 1966, they moved their training camp to Minnesota State University
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
in Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
, where it has been ever since.
Throughout the Vikings' history, they have had one of the highest winning percentages in the NFL. They are also one of only five NFL teams to win 15 games during the regular season. The Vikings have won one NFL championship, in 1969
NFL Championship Game, 1969
The 1969 NFL Championship Game was the 37th and final championship game played prior to the AFL-NFL Merger. The winner of the game would go on to play in Super Bowl IV against the champion of the American Football League...
, prior to the league's merger with the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL). Since the merger, they have made the playoffs 24 times, third most in the league. The team has played in four Super Bowls, but lost each time. The team currently has ten members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
: Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
, Alan Page
Alan Page
Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
, Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
, Jim Finks
Jim Finks
James Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:...
, Paul Krause
Paul Krause
Paul James Krause is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League...
, Ron Yary
Ron Yary
Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
, Carl Eller
Carl Eller
Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
, Gary Zimmerman
Gary Zimmerman
Gary Wayne Zimmerman is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. Zimmerman played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-1992 and for the Denver Broncos from 1993-1997. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 7 times and was an All-Pro selection 8 times...
, Randall McDaniel
Randall McDaniel
Randall McDaniel is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. On January 31, 2009 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
and John Randle
John Randle
John Anthony Randle played defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. On February 6, 2010 he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born in Mumford, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as...
.
History
Professional football in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul area (the "Twin Cities") began with the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets, an NFL team that played intermittently in the 1920s–30s. However, a new professional team in the area did not surface again until August 1959, when Minneapolis businessmen Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund, and Max WinterMax Winter
Max Winter was a Minneapolis businessman and sport executive. Winter was born in Austria-Hungary and his family emigrated to the United States in 1913 and settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Winter graduated from high school in 1922...
were awarded a franchise in the new American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL). Five months later in January 1960, after significant pressure from the NFL, the ownership group, along with Bernie Ridder, reneged on its agreement with the AFL and then was awarded the National Football League's 14th franchise with play to begin in 1961. Ole Haugsrud
Ole Haugsrud
Ole Haugsrud was an American sports executive. Haugsrud was born in Superior, Wisconsin. There is also a field in Superior, Wisconsin called Ole Haugsrud Field. The Superior High School Spartans and University of Wisconsin–Superior Yellowjackets play there. Haugsrud was owner of the Duluth Eskimos...
was added to the NFL team ownership because of it had the most talented players in NFL since the 1920s when he sold his Duluth Eskimos team back to the league. The agreement allowed him 10% of any future Minnesota team. Coincidentally or not, the teams from Ole Haugsrud's high school, Central High School in Superior, WI, were also called the Vikings and their school colors were similarly purple and yellow.
1960s
The team was officially named the Minnesota VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s on September 27, 1960; the name is partly meant to reflect Minnesota's place as a center of Scandinavian American
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
culture. From the start, the Vikings embraced an energetic marketing program that produced a first-year season ticket sales of nearly 26,000 and an average home attendance of 34,586, about 85 percent of the capacity of 40,800 for Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
. Eventually Met Stadium capacity was increased to 47,900. The search for the first head coach had the team court then-Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
head coach Ara Parseghian
Ara Parseghian
Ara Raoul Parseghian is a former American football player and coach of Armenian descent. He served as the head football coach at Miami University , Northwestern University , and the University of Notre Dame , compiling a career college football record of 170–58–6...
, who according to Minneapolis Star writer Jim Klobuchar
Jim Klobuchar
Jim Klobuchar is a Minnesota journalist, author, and travel guide. He wrote for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis for three decades, and now writes an occasional column for the Christian Science Monitor. He is the father of Senator Amy Klobuchar....
—the Vikings' first beat reporter for that newspaper—visited team management in the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
under the condition that his visit was to be kept secret from his current employer. His cover was blown by local columnist Sid Hartman
Sid Hartman
Sid Hartman is an American sports journalist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the WCCO 830 AM radio station.-Background and early career:A high-school dropout, Hartman received no formal writing training...
who reported the visit and forced Parseghian to issue denials. Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
assistant Nick Skorich and a man with Minnesota ties who was working in the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
, were also candidates until a different Eagle, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
, was hired on January 18, 1961. Van Brocklin had just finished his career as a player on a high note, having defeated the Green Bay Packers
1960 Green Bay Packers season
*First Quarter**GB-Hornung 20 yard FG*Second Quarter**GB-Hornung 23 yard FG**Phi-McDonald 35 yard pass from Van Brocklin **Phi-Walston 15 yard FG*Third Quarter**No scoring*Fourth Quarter...
in the NFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game, 1960
The 1960 National Football League championship game was the 28th NFL title game. The game was played on Monday, December 26, 1960 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
.
With the first overall selection in the 1961 NFL Draft
1961 NFL Draft
The 1961 National Football League Draft took place on December 27–28, 1960. The league would later hold an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise, and the Vikings were also awarded the first selection position in this draft. This draft was also the first regular draft for...
, the Vikings selected running back Tommy Mason
Tommy Mason
Thomas Cyril Mason is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was selected first overall by the expansion Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFL Draft. In six seasons with the Vikings, he rushed for 3,252 yards and 28 touchdowns. In 1967, he was signed by the Los...
of Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
. They took a young quarterback from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
named Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
in the third round. Notable veterans acquired in the offseason were George Shaw
George Shaw (American football)
George Howard Shaw was an American football quarterback who played seven seasons in the National Football League.-Early life:...
and Hugh McElhenny
Hugh McElhenny
Hugh Edward McElhenny is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played from 1952–1964, for the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions. He was noted for his explosive, elusive running style and was frequently called "The...
. The Vikings won their first regular season game, defeating the Chicago Bears
1961 Chicago Bears season
The 1961 Chicago Bears season was their 42nd regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted an 8-6 record under George Halas, which was an improvement over the 5-6-1 record of the previous season.-Offseason:...
37–13 on Opening Day . Tarkenton came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes and run for another to lead the upset. Reality set in as the expansion team lost its next seven games on their way to a 3–11 record. The losing continued throughout much of the 60s as the Vikings had a combined record of 32 wins, 59 losses, and 7 ties in their first 7 seasons with only one winning season (8–5–1 in 1964).
On March 7, 1967, quarterback Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
was traded to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a 1st and 2nd-round draft choice in 1967, a 1st-round choice in 1968 and a 2nd-round choice in 1969. With the picks Minnesota selected Clinton Jones and Bob Grim
Bob Grim (football player)
Robert Lee Grim is a former American football player in the National Football League who played from 1967–1977. He played high school football at Red Bluff High School and college football at Oregon State University. In 1964, as a sophomore, he started at left end for the Beavers, helping to...
in 1967, Ron Yary
Ron Yary
Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
in 1968 and Ed White in 1969. Three days later on March 10, the Vikings hired new head coach Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
to replace Van Brocklin, who had resigned on February 11, 1967. Grant came to the Vikings from the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
as head coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
, who he led to four Grey Cup Championships in 10 years. During the late 1960s, the Vikings were building a powerful defense known as the Purple People Eaters
Purple People Eaters
Purple People Eaters is a term for the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. The term is a reference to a popular song from 1958, the superb efficiency of the defense, and the color of their uniforms...
, led by Alan Page
Alan Page
Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
, Carl Eller
Carl Eller
Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
, Gary Larsen
Gary Larsen
Gary Larsen was a defensive tackle in the NFL and played college football at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota. He started his NFL career in 1964 with the Los Angeles Rams and then became a part of the famous Purple People Eaters for the Minnesota Vikings from 1965 through 1974...
, and Jim Marshall
Jim Marshall (American football)
James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at the Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns...
. In , that stingy defense earned the Vikings their first Central Division title and their first playoff berth.
In the Vikings
1969 Minnesota Vikings season
1969 was the ninth year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 50th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings again won the NFL Central Division title, as finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses, plus playoff wins over the Los Angeles Rams in the Western...
went 12–2, the best record in the NFL, and had 12 straight regular season victories, after a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, which was the longest single-season winning streak in 35 years. The Vikings defeated the Cleveland Browns
1969 Cleveland Browns season
The 1969 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 20th season with the National Football League and the last before the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger.-NFL Draft:The following were selected in the 1969 NFL Draft.-Preseason:...
, 27–7, in the last NFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game, 1969
The 1969 NFL Championship Game was the 37th and final championship game played prior to the AFL-NFL Merger. The winner of the game would go on to play in Super Bowl IV against the champion of the American Football League...
on Jan. 4, 1970, at Metropolitan Stadium. Minnesota became the first modern NFL expansion team to win an NFL Championship Game, and earned a berth in Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
. The heavily favored Vikings lost that game to the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
23–7.
1970s
The team continued to dominate in and , reaching the playoffs due to the effort of a stubborn defense that gave the team the nickname "The Purple People Eaters." The defensive line consisted of Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and Gary Larsen. In 1971, Alan Page won the NFL Most Valuable Player AwardNFL Most Valuable Player Award
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. When the award is referred to without mentioning the organization, it generally means the AP award. The AP NFL MVP...
given by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. He was the first defensive player to win the award.
On January 27, the Vikings
1972 Minnesota Vikings season
1972 was the 12th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of seven wins and seven losses.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-All-Pros:First Team...
traded Norm Snead
Norm Snead
Norman Bailey Snead is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for Wake Forest University and was drafted in the first round of...
, Bob Grim, Vince Clements and a 1st-round draft choice in 1972 and 1973 to the New York Giants to reacquire the popular Fran Tarkenton. While the acquisitions of Tarkenton and wide receiver John Gilliam
John Gilliam
John Rally Gilliam was an American football wide receiver.Gilliam was a receiver out of South Carolina State University, and was drafted in the second round by the expansion New Orleans Saints. He played his first two seasons in New Orleans, and then had stints with the St...
improved the passing attack, the running game was inconsistent and the Vikings finished with a disappointing 7–7 record. The Vikings addressed the problem by drafting running back Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:...
with their first pick in the 1973 draft
1973 NFL Draft
The 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. Co-owner Bill Boyer died on February 19, 1973 and was replaced on the team's board of directors by his son-in-law Jack Steele.
The Vikings
1973 Minnesota Vikings season
The 1973 Minnesota Vikings season was their 13th year of play in the National Football League. The Vikings regained the NFC Central title after a disappointing 7-7 record the previous season, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses...
won their first 9 games of and finished the season with a 12–2 record. The Vikings then advanced to their second Super Bowl in franchise history, Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
, against the Miami Dolphins
1973 Miami Dolphins season
-Awards and honors:* Larry Csonka, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player* Larry Csonka, Pro Bowl Selection* Bob Griese, Pro Bowl Selection-Notes and references:**...
at Rice Stadium
Rice Stadium
Rice Stadium is a football stadium located on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas. It has been the home of the Rice University football team since its completion in 1950 and hosted Super Bowl VIII in 1974....
in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. However, the Dolphins prevailed, 24–7.
The Vikings
1974 Minnesota Vikings season
-References:...
won the Central Division again in with a 10–4 record, which was a tie for the best record in the conference. In the playoffs they built on their cold weather reputation, defeating both the St. Louis Cardinals
1974 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 93rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 83rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 86-75 during the season and finished second in the National League East, a game and-a-half behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Offseason:* October 26, 1973:...
30–14 and the Los Angeles Rams
1974 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1974 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 37th year with the National Football League and the 29th season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:...
14–10 in frozen Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings played in their second straight Super Bowl, Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
(3rd overall), losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers
1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season
-NFL Draft:In the 1974 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team in NFL history to select four Pro Football Hall of Fame players in the same draft .* Round 1: Lynn Swann, USC...
, 16–6, at Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located...
in New Orleans on January 12, 1975.
In , the Vikings
1975 Minnesota Vikings season
1975 was the 15th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 56th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings won their third straight NFC Central title, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses, before losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 17-14 in the NFC...
, led by Tarkenton and running back Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:...
, got off to a 10–0 start and easily won another division title. However, the Vikings lost to the Dallas Cowboys
1975 Dallas Cowboys season
-NFC Divisional Playoff:at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota*TV: CBS Gary Bender, Johnny UnitasThe "Hail Mary" Game-NFC Championship Game:at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles*TV: CBS...
in the playoffs, 17–14, on a controversial touchdown pass from the Cowboys' quarterback Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
to wide receiver Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson (American football)
Drew Pearson is a sportscaster and former American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-Early years:...
that became known as the Hail Mary
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
. The touchdown was controversial because many felt that Pearson pushed off on Vikings defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
Nate Wright
Nate Wright
-Professional career:Wright earned All-Pro honors at defensive back in 1974 and 1976. His career consisted mostly of time as a defensive back with the great Minnesota Vikings teams of the 1970s...
, which is pass interference
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
and a violation of the rules. As the Metropolitan Stadium crowd was stunned to learn that no penalty was called, debris was thrown on the field for several minutes. A Corby's Whiskey bottle struck game official, Armen Terzian
Armen Terzian
Armen Terzian was a U.S. American football official in the NFL from 1961 to 1981. He was a field judge and wore uniform number 23, which was later worn by two African-American referees: Johnny Grier and, currently, Jerome Boger...
, rendering him unconscious.
The Vikings
1976 Minnesota Vikings season
1976 was the 16th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of 11 wins, two losses, and one tie. They lost Super Bowl XI to the Oakland Raiders 32-14. As of 2011, this has been the last Super Bowl...
played in Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
, their third Super Bowl (4th overall) in 4 years, against the Oakland Raiders
1976 Oakland Raiders season
-Season:The Road to their first World Championship began on opening day as they faced the reigning world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. In their home opener, Oakland trailed 28–14 with just over five minutes to play, yet orchestrated what many to this day refer to as their Comeback Classic of 1976...
at the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
,on January 9, 1977. The Vikings, however, couldn't break their bad luck in the Super Bowl. Minnesota lost, 32–14.
In , the Vikings
1977 Minnesota Vikings season
1977 was the 17th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of nine wins and five losses. Quarterback Fran Tarkenton was injured with a broken leg in week 9 and missed the rest of the...
again won the Central Division with a 9–5 record and advanced to their 4th NFC Championship Game in 5 years, but were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Cowboys
1977 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1977 Dallas Cowboys season was their 18th in the NFL. The club appeared twice on Monday Night Football. Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and became the second member of the Cowboys to have a 1,000 yard rushing season. During the season, the club scored 345 points, which ranked first in the...
, 23–6, at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
.
By , age was taking its toll on the Vikings
1978 Minnesota Vikings season
1978 was the 18th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eight wins, seven losses, and one tie.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:...
, but they still made the playoffs with an 8–7–1 record. There was no more playoff magic as the Rams
1978 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1978 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 41st year with the National Football League and the 33rd season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-NFC Divisional Playoff:*Los Angeles Rams 34, Minnesota Vikings 10...
finally defeated the Vikings, 34–10 in Los Angeles after having lost in their previous four playoff matchups (in 1969, '74, '76 and '77). Quarterback Fran Tarkenton retired following the season holding league passer records in attempts (6,467), completions (3,686), yards (47,003), and touchdowns (342).
In December 1979, ground was broken for construction of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in downtown Minneapolis.
1980s
On May 15, 1981, the Vikings moved into a new facility in suburban Eden PrairieEden Prairie, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 54,901 people, 20,457 households, and 14,579 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 21,026 housing units at an average density of 649.2 per square mile...
that houses the team's offices, locker room and practice fields. The complex was named "Winter Park" after Max Winter, one of the Vikings' founders, who served as the team's president from 1965 to 1987. The Vikings played their final game at Metropolitan Stadium on December 20 to conclude the 1981 NFL season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
by losing to the Kansas City Chiefs
1981 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1981 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 9–7 record, but no playoff appearance.Bill Kenney began the 1981 season as the club's starting quarterback and directed the Chiefs to a 6–2 start, including a 37–33 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on Opening Day...
, 10–6.
1982 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1982 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's seventh season with the National Football League. Head coach Jack Patera was fired after the first two games of the season, which were followed by a 57-day players strike...
on August 21, 1982 in a game Minnesota won, 7–3. The first touchdown in the new facility was scored by Joe Senser
Joe Senser
Joseph Michael Senser is a former professional American football player. A 6'4", 240 lbs. tight end from West Chester University, Senser was selected in the 6th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He ranks 3rd in Vikings history among tight ends for catches , touchdowns and...
on an 11 yard pass from Tommy Kramer
Tommy Kramer
Thomas Francis Kramer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the NFL from 1977 to 1990...
. The first regular-season game in the Metrodome was the 1982 opener on September 12, when the Vikings defeated Tampa Bay
1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were regarded for the first time as a regular playoff contender. They were considered by some to be the best Buccaneer team yet, despite a mediocre offensive line and the lack of a feature running back. The team played only two games before the players' union called a...
, 17–10. Rickey Young
Rickey Young
Rickey Young is a former American football running back who played nine seasons in the NFL. Young played college football at Jackson State and was a teammate of Walter Payton. Rickey was drafted in 1975 by the San Diego Chargers...
scored the first regular-season touchdown in the facility on a 3 yard run in the 2nd quarter.
On January 27, 1984, Bud Grant retired as head coach of the Vikings. With a career regular-season record of 151–87–5 (.632) in 17 seasons with Minnesota, Grant led the franchise to 12 playoff appearances, 11 division titles, and four Super Bowls. Les Steckel
Les Steckel
Les Steckel was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1984. He has also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Biography:...
, who was an offensive assistant with the Vikings for 5 seasons, was then named the 3rd head coach in franchise history. Steckel, who came to the Vikings in 1979 after working as an assistant with the 49ers, was the youngest head coach in the NFL in 1984 at age 38. However, the Vikings lost a franchise-worst 13 games. After the season Steckel was fired, and on December 18, 1984, Bud Grant was rehired as the head coach of the Vikings.
On January 6, 1986, following the 1985 season
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
, Bud Grant re-retired as head coach of the Vikings. At the time of his retirement he was the 6th winningest coach in NFL history with 168 career wins, including playoffs. In 18 seasons, he led the Vikings to a 158–96–5 regular season record. Longtime Vikings assistant coach Jerry Burns
Jerry Burns
Jerome Monahan "Jerry" Burns is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Iowa, from 1961 to 1965, compiling record of 16–27–2, and for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL from 1986 to 1991, tallying a mark of...
was named the 4th head coach in team history on January 7, 1986. He served as the Vikings' offensive coordinator from 1968–85, when the team won 11 division titles and played in 4 Super Bowls. In his first season, the Vikings
1986 Minnesota Vikings season
-Schedule:-References:* *...
led by the NFL Comeback Player of the Year
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award
The NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has been given out after every season since 1972 by Pro Football Weekly. The player named Comeback Player of the Year shows perseverance in overcoming adversity, in the form of not being in the NFL the previous year, a severe injury, or simply poor...
Tommy Kramer, went 9–7, their first winning record in 4 years. On August 2, 1986, Fran Tarkenton was the first player who played the majority of his career with the Vikings to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Following the strike-shortened 1987 season
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, the 8–7 Vikings
1987 Minnesota Vikings season
-Schedule:Note: The October 18 game against Tampa Bay was originally scheduled to played in Minneapolis. The game was switched with the November 15 game due to Game 2 of the World Series...
—who had finished 8–4 in regular games but 0–3 using strike-replacement players—pulled two upsets in the playoffs by beating the two teams with the best regular season records. They beat the 12–3 New Orleans Saints
1987 New Orleans Saints season
The 1987 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' 21st season. The Saints qualified for the postseason for the first time, riding largely on a nine-game winning streak to close the season...
, 44–10, at the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
in the Wild Card Playoff game. The following week, in the Divisional Playoff game, they beat the 13–2 San Francisco 49ers
1987 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1987 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 38th year with the National Football League. In the offseason, the 49ers acquired Steve Young in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, 36–24, at Candlestick Park. During that game Anthony Carter
Anthony Carter (football)
Anthony Carter is a former American football wide receiver. He finished his college career as the University of Michigan's all-time leading receiver, and played professionally for thirteen years in the United States Football League and the National Football League...
set the all-time record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 227 yards. The Vikings played the Washington Redskins
1988 Washington Redskins season
The 1988 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 11-4 record from 1987, when they won Super Bowl XXII. The Redskins failed to qualify for the playoffs. They were the seventh team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the...
in the NFC Championship Game on January 17, 1988, at RFK Stadium. Trailing 17–10, the Vikings drove to the Redskins' six yard line with a little over a minute left in the game but failed to get the ball into the end zone. Redskins cornerback Darrell Green
Darrell Green
Darrell Ray Green is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play football...
broke up a pass at the goal line from Wade Wilson intended for Darrin Nelson
Darrin Nelson
Darren Milo Nelson is a former professional American football player in the National Football League....
to end the Vikings' hopes of a Super Bowl.
On October 12, 1989, the Vikings acquired
Herschel Walker trade
The Herschel Walker trade, also known as "The Great Train Robbery", was the largest player trade in the history of the National Football League. It involved 18 players and draft picks...
Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker is an American mixed martial artist and a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and earned the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League...
from Dallas. The final result of the trade gave the Vikings Walker, third-round choice Mike Jones, fifth-round choice Reggie Thornton and tenth-round choice Pat Newman in 1990 and a third-round choice in 1991 Jake Reed
Jake Reed
Willis "Jake" Reed is a former professional American football player who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League as a wide receiver from 1991 to 2002 for the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints.Reed played football collegiately at Grambling State University and was selected...
, while Dallas received Issiac Holt, David Howard, Darrin Nelson, Jesse Solomon, Alex Stewart, a 1st, 2nd and 6th-round choice in 1990, 1st and 2nd-round choices in 1991 and a 1st, 2nd and 3rd-round choice in 1992. Two of those selections turned into Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
and Darren Woodson
Darren Woodson
Darren Ray Woodson is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys from 1992 to 2004...
. Herschel's performance fell short of expectations in his three seasons with the Vikings, while the Cowboys rode their draft picks to three Super Bowl victories in the early to mid 1990s.
1990s
On December 3, 1991, Jerry Burns announced his retirement effective at the end of the 1991 season. In six seasons as Head Coach of the Vikings, Burns compiled a career record of 52–43 (.547). He also led Minnesota to three playoff appearances, including a division title and an NFC Championship Game. Dennis GreenDennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
was later named the fifth Head Coach in team history. He came to Minnesota after turning around a struggling Stanford University football program
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
as head coach from 1989–91. In his 10 seasons as the coach of the Vikings, Green won 4 NFC Central division titles, had 8 playoff appearances, 2 NFC Championship game appearances and an all-time record of 97–62. With over 100 wins counting playoffs. The Vikings therefore had the fifth highest winning percentage during the regular season in the 1990s.
1998
19981998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
was a year to remember for the franchise. With a spectacular offense led by quarterback Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
(who replaced an injured Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
), running back Robert Smith
Robert Smith (football)
Robert Scott Smith is a former American football running back who played with the Ohio State Buckeyes and later with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. While in college, he openly criticized the Ohio State football staff for not allowing him to concentrate on academics as he wanted to go to medical...
, veteran wide receiver Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
, and explosive rookie Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, the Vikings set a then-NFL record by scoring a total of 556 points, never scoring fewer than 24 in a game. The Vikings finished the season 15–1, their only loss was to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was seen as a disappointment following their breakthrough 1997 season. It was their first season in Raymond James Stadium. They were the only team to beat the Minnesota Vikings during the regular season. In week 16 they recorded the biggest road win in their...
27–24 in Week 9. In the playoffs, the Vikings rolled past the Arizona Cardinals
1998 Arizona Cardinals season
The 1998 Arizona Cardinals season was the Cardinals 11th season in Arizona. The club appeared in the postseason for the first time since the 1982 season and won its first postseason game since 1947....
41–21, and came into the Metrodome heavily favored for their NFC title showdown with the Atlanta Falcons
1998 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1998 Atlanta Falcons season saw the Falcons qualify for the Super Bowl for the first time under the guidance of second-year head coach Dan Reeves. The team won its final nine games of the season to earn the #2 seed in the NFC for the playoffs and the first-week bye...
, who had gone 14–2 in the regular season. After kicker Gary Anderson, who had just completed the first perfect regular season in NFL history (not missing a single extra point or field goal attempt the entire year), missed a 38-yard field goal attempt with less than 2 minutes remaining, the Falcon's ensuing drive tied the game. This led to a controversial decision by head coach Dennis Green to run out the clock and let the game go onto overtime. Though the Vikings won the coin toss, Atlanta went on to win it 30–27 in overtime on Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
's 38-yard field goal. The Vikings became the first 15–1 team to fail to reach the Super Bowl. The Falcons lost Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
to John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
and the Denver Broncos
1998 Denver Broncos season
In 1998 the Denver Broncos had a record of 14–2, second best in the NFL, and won Super Bowl XXXIII. It was John Elway's final season and the season Terrell Davis ran for 2,008 yards, making him only the fourth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season....
.
1999
Cunningham resumed duties again in 1999, but after a lukewarm 2–4 start, Jeff GeorgeJeff George
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" George is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft...
was given the starting job. He finished the season with an 8–2 record, and led the Vikings into the postseason once again, with an overall team record of 10–6. Minnesota beat Dallas
1999 Dallas Cowboys season
-Regular season:The season would begin at Washington with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the hated division rival Washington Redskins. After trailing by three touchdowns in the second half, free agent acquisition Rocket Ismail would pay immediate dividends for the team by hauling in the...
in the Wild Card game 27–10, and faced playoff newcomer Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
and the St. Louis Rams
1999 St. Louis Rams season
The 1999 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 62nd year with the National Football League and the fifth season in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 13-3, and the NFC West Championship. The Rams were undefeated at home for the first time since 1973. On the...
in the Divisional matchup. The game was a shootout which Minnesota led 17–14 at halftime, but the Rams outscored Minnesota 35–20 in the second half to win 49–37. St. Louis would go on to win Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
.
2000s
The Vikings entered the decade by winning the divisional championship and an appearance in the NFC Championship game, but struggled the following season by posting a 5–11 record in 2001. The team made the playoffs again in 2004 but would not win the division again until 2008. Since the merger, the 2000s has been the decade with the fewest playoff berths for the franchise.2000
In 20002000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, the Vikings went 11–5. The Vikings were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the Rams
2000 St. Louis Rams season
The 2000 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 63rd year with the National Football League and the sixth season in St. Louis. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 10-6 but would go on to lose to the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. They led the NFL in...
, Packers
2000 Green Bay Packers season
The 2000 Green Bay Packers season was the first season for which Mike Sherman was the head coach of the team. Sherman was the thirteenth head coach in franchise history. The Packers finished 9-7, failing to qualify for the playoffs...
and Colts
2000 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2000 Indianapolis Colts season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League and 17th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 2000 season with a record of 10 wins and 6 losses, and finished second in the AFC East...
while starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
was hampered by injury. Nonetheless, the Vikings made the playoffs for the fifth straight year. After easily beating the Saints
2000 New Orleans Saints season
The 2000 New Orleans Saints season saw the Saints win their first ever playoff game. On February 3, Jim Haslett was named the thirteenth head coach in franchise history.-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Rushing: -Receiving: -Sacks: -Interceptions:...
in the Divisional game 34–16, they traveled to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to face the Giants
2000 New York Giants season
The 2000 New York Giants season was the 76th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Preseason:-Regular season:The giants began the 2000 season hoping to get over the hump of coming short the past two seasons....
in the NFC Championship Game. Though they were the road team, the Vikings were actually favored to win the game (since most considered their 11–2 record with Culpepper more indicative than their 0–3 record when he was out). But the Vikings were humiliated by the Giants 41–0, the worst playoff loss in franchise history. Robert Smith, who ran for a team record (and NFC best) 1521 yards that season, retired at the end of the year after only playing eight NFL seasons.
2001–05
In 20012001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, after a disappointing 5–11 season, the Vikings bought out the contract of Dennis Green
Dennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
, despite his successful coaching tenure with the team. Mike Tice
Mike Tice
Michael Peter Tice is an American football National Football League coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears.-Playing career:...
coached the final game of 2001, losing to the Ravens
2001 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2001 Baltimore Ravens season was the team's sixth year in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: - Playoffs :-Roster:-References:* *...
19–3. Tice was named the permanent coach after the season, but he would not lead the Vikings back to the playoffs until 2004.
During the 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, the Vikings
2003 Minnesota Vikings season
2003 was the 43rd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 84th regular season of the National Football League.The Vikings began 2003 with a fast 6-0 start...
came close to getting into the playoffs. However, the Arizona Cardinals
2003 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2003 Arizona Cardinals season was the 84th season the team was in the National Football League. The team was unable to improve upon their previous output of 5-11, instead winning only four games. For the fifth consecutive season, the team failed to reach the playoffs. This resulted in the...
completed a game winning touchdown on 4th and 28 with 0:00 left knocking the Vikings out of the playoffs. The moment of Arizona's touchdown was actually the first moment the entire season in which the Vikings hadn't led their division. The Vikings became the second team in football history to miss the playoffs after getting off to a 6–0 start. The first team was the 1978 Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
In 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
amassed MVP-like statistics, throwing for 4,717 passing yards (leading the NFL), 39 passing touchdowns (a Viking record), and 5,123 total yards (an NFL record). In the wild card game, the Vikings defeated the rival Green Bay Packers
2004 Green Bay Packers season
The 2004 Green Bay Packers season started with the Packers losing four of their first five games, then winning their next six games, and finally ending in a Wild Card playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They finished with an overall record of 10-7....
in their first-ever playoff meeting, 31–17. In doing so, the Vikings became the second team in NFL history to have a .500 record (8–8) in the regular season and win a playoff game (The St. Louis Rams
2004 St. Louis Rams season
The 2004 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 67th year with the National Football League and the 10th season in St. Louis.-Schedule:-Playoffs:...
did the same thing only a day earlier). In the divisional round, the Vikings were defeated by the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles
2004 Philadelphia Eagles season
-Regular season:-Playoffs:-Week 1: vs. New York Giants:The highly-anticipated Eagles' season began with a convincing rout of the division-rival New York Giants in a game that was not as close as the 31–17 score. New York scored the first points when Ron Dayne finished a first quarter drive with a...
.
On March 2, 2005, Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris
Napoleon Harris
Napoleon Bill Harris is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Northwestern and was drafted in the first round by the Oakland Raiders in the 2002 NFL Draft....
and the Raiders' first round draft pick. After struggling to a disappointing 2–5 start to the 2005 season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Vikings lost quarterback Daunte Culpepper to a season-ending knee injury. This injury was a very significant part to this Minnesota Vikings team due to the fact they also lost Moss. The dynamic duo from years earlier were now lost and a new leader would eventually emerge. The Vikings finished the 2005 season with a 9–7 record. However, this season would be more notable for off-the-field events. In October, 17 team members were part of a party of about 90 that went out on a pleasure cruise on local Lake Minnetonka
Lake Minnetonka
Lake Minnetonka is a lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Throughout its recorded history, the lake has been a resort destination. It is located west-southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The lake is an irregular shape with numerous bays and islands which make up about of shoreline...
. The incident erupted into scandal when media reported that a number of the players had performed sex acts and that prostitutes
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
had been flown in. Four players were ultimately charged with misdemeanors related to the party.
Head Coach Mike Tice was let go after the 2005 season and was replaced by Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
. This was one of many significant front office moves made by the new ownership team, led by Zygi Wilf.
2006–2009
Minnesota2006 Minnesota Vikings season
2006 was the 46th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 46th regular season of the National Football League.The 2006 Minnesota Vikings season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 2005 which was the last under embattled head coach Mike Tice...
began the 2006 season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
4–2 (Childress became the first coach in Vikings history to start 2–0 in his first year), but would finish the year at 6–10, receiving the 7th pick in the NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
; with it, the Vikings selected Adrian Peterson out of the University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. He is known as a powerhorse back with extreme speed.
Peterson's first career touchdown was a 60-yard screen pass in his first career game against the Atlanta Falcons. When the Minnesota Vikings played the Chicago Bears
2007 Chicago Bears season
The 2007 Chicago Bears season was the team's 88th regular season in the National Football League. The season officially began on September 9, 2007 against the San Diego Chargers, and concluded on December 30 against the New Orleans Saints...
in the first of their two games, Peterson broke the record for single game All-Purpose (rushing, receiving, kick returning) yards (361 total yards, 224 rushing). In Week 9 of the 2007 season, Peterson broke the NFL record set by Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lafitte Lewis is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
in 2003 for most rushing yards in one game by rushing for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers. Despite a strong push in the middle of the 2007 season, winning five straight games, the Vikings lost their final two games to finish the season at 8–8, missing the playoffs. In Week 13 of the 2008 season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
against the Bears
2008 Chicago Bears season
The 2008 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 89th regular season in the National Football League. They finished the 2008 season with a 9-7 record, improving upon their 7-9 record from the 2007 season...
, Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
hooked up with Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian is a free agent American football wide receiver who last played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
for a 99-yard touchdown pass after a goal line stand by the Vikings defense. This was the longest play in Vikings history. That season, Adrian Peterson led the NFL with 1760 rushing yards, breaking the franchise record for most single season rush yards. The Vikings clinched the NFC North
NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
championship for the first time after defeating the New York Giants
2008 New York Giants season
The 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League as the team looked to defend its Super Bowl XLII title. They improved upon their 10–6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 12-4 record...
20–19 in Week 17, when kicker Ryan Longwell
Ryan Longwell
Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
made the game-winning field goal. Adrian Peterson had 19 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown in this game.
On January 4, 2009, the NFC North champion Vikings hosted the Philadelphia Eagles
2008 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the...
for the Wild Card round, their first home playoff game in eight years. The Vikings held the Eagles 14–16 at halftime, but the Eagles, coming off of a 44–6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys
2008 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League. The season was most noted for week 17, when the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles 44–6, their worst loss since the 1985 Chicago Bears came to Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 44–0...
, defeated the Vikings, 26–14. The Eagles would go on to defeat the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the Divisional round, only to lose to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game.
Since 2006, the Vikings have been known especially for their strong run defense(#1 in the NFL in 2006, 2007, and 2008; they are the first NFL team to accomplish this since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970), anchored by the Williams Wall consisting of defensive tackle Kevin Williams and nose tackle Pat Williams (no relation). With the addition of sack-leader Jared Allen
Jared Allen
-Kansas City Chiefs:Allen was drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and signed for a one-year, $100,000 contract. On May 21, 2007, Allen, as a restricted free agent, signed the Chiefs' one-year tender offer of $2.35 million for the 2007 season. Allen credited his early...
in 2008 the dominant front four began being called by several nicknames, including "Thunder and Plunder" and "Shock and AWWE" (an acronym of their surname initials). As well known as the "Great Wall of Purple" & "The 4 Norsemen".
2009–2010
On August 18, 2009, after months of speculation and negotiations, twice-retired veteran quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
, who until 2007 played 16 years for division arch rival Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Vikings, starting what many Vikings fans refer to as "The Brett Favre Era". Favre is universally acknowledged to be a future Hall of Fame player, holding many NFL career passing records. Coincidentally, in 2007, he broke the record for career touchdown passes (previously held by Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
with 421) in the Metrodome while playing for the Packers.
On October 5, 2009, the Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers as Favre played his former team for the first time. With a 30–23 victory on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, the Vikings moved to a 4–0 record. Favre became the only player in NFL history to defeat all 32 current teams as a starter. The Atlanta Falcons had defeated the Packers in a 1991 game which Favre did not participate. Over 21.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the game, beating the previous record for a cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
program set by a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 (18.6 million viewers).
The Vikings beat the New York Giants, 44–7, in Week 17 to help the Vikings clinch the 2nd seed in the conference and a 1st round-bye with an Eagles loss later that same day. The Vikings ended with a 12–4 record, their best record since 2000 and the first 11-plus win season since the record-setting 1998 season. The Vikings played the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round on January 17, 2010, and won the game by a score of 34–3, advancing the Vikings to the NFC Championship game, the ninth in franchise history and first since 2001. Minnesota would travel to New Orleans the following week to face the top-seeded Saints in the first conference championship game held at the Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
. Despite out-gaining the Saints on offense by nearly a twofold margin, the Vikings were severely hindered by five turnovers, including a Favre interception in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter (in Saints territory). They were ousted in overtime, 31–28, on a 40-yard field goal after losing the coin toss.
In the first week of the 2010 NFL regular season, the Vikings played the defending Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings lost 14–9. In week 2, the Vikings played the Miami Dolphins and lost 14–10. The Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions 24–10 in the third week of the season. After a week four bye-week, the Vikings received star wide receiver Randy Moss in a trade with the New England Patriots. Even with the addition of Moss, the Vikings lost to the New York Jets 29–20 in week five. The Vikings won a crucial victory against another struggling team in the form of the Dallas Cowboys 24–21, but in week seven the Vikings lost to arch-rival Green Bay Packers 28–24. In week nine, the Vikings played the Arizona Cardinals at home and won 27–24 in overtime. Favre threw for a career-high 446 passing yards. The Vikings then went on to face their other divisional rival the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
but were beaten and then went on to be blown out 31–3 in a rematch with the Packers. The team then proceeded to fire Brad Childress not long after. With Leslie Frazier filling in for the fired Childress, the Vikings won two games in a row against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on the road, and a blowout win over the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at home.
After a winter storm dropped nearly 17 inches of snow in the Minneapolis/St Paul area the Saturday prior to the Vikings December 12 home game versus the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 30 mph gusts drove snow removers off the dome's roof overnight, several panels were damaged as the weight of the snow caused the roof to collapse. After viewing the damage, Vikings management and the NFL decided to move the game to Monday and play it at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
in Detroit, Michigan. Because of on-going repairs to the roof of the Metrodome, the Vikings played their December 20 game versus the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at TCF Bank Stadium
TCF Bank Stadium
TCF Bank Stadium, sometimes referred to as either "The Bank" or "The Gopher Hole," is the football stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers college football team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
(the home of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
). The game was played 29 years to the day after the last outdoor game at old Met Stadium. On December 26, the NFL announced that the game versus the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
was being postponed to Tuesday, December 28, 2010 because of blizzard conditions
December 2010 North American blizzard
The December 2010 North American blizzard was a major nor'easter and historic blizzard affecting the United States from portions of northern Florida to Maine and portions of Canada on December 26–27, 2010. It was the first significant winter storm of the 2010-11 winter season and the fourth North...
. This marks the third consecutive venue or date change for a Vikings game and was the first NFL game played on a Tuesday since 1946. The Vikings proceeded to upset the dynamic Eagles offense, led by a resurgent Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
, 24–14 with rookie Joe Webb
Joe Webb
Joseph "Joe" Webb, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. In college he played for the UAB Blazers. He was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round, number 199 overall, of the 2010 NFL Draft.-Early years:Born to Joseph and Wanda Webb,...
at the helm. The Vikings finished the season with a 20–13 loss against the Detroit Lions.
2011–present
The 2010 season was arguably one of the most disappointing for the Vikings. After coming within a few plays of Super Bowl XLIVSuper Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
, Minnesota ended the 2010 season with a 6–10 record and a last place finish in the NFC North. During the season, the Vikings had many distractions, including trading for Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
and then waiving him only a month later, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
's NFL investigation for allegedly sending inappropriate text messages to Jets' employee Jenn Sterger
Jenn Sterger
Jennifer "Jenn" Lynette Sterger is a model and television personality, and former online columnist for Sports Illustrated...
while he was with the team in 2008, the Metrodome's collapse and resulting venue changes, and finally head coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
' firing on November 22 following a 31–3 loss at the hands of the rival Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
After serving as the interim head coach for the final six games of the season (finishing with a 3–3 record), defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier
Leslie Frazier
Leslie Antonio Frazier is a former cornerback/safety in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and is currently the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings.-College career:...
was officially named the head coach on January 3, 2011, after signing a three-year contract. On January 17, Brett Favre retired for the third, and officially last, time, leaving the team in search for a long term replacement at the quarterback position. Wasting no time after being appointed head coach, Frazier began to restructure the team's coaching staff, including letting go of offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Darrell Bevell
Darrell Bevell
Darrell Bevell is the current Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator and former University of Wisconsin–Madison four-year starting quarterback....
and hiring Mike Singletary
Mike Singletary
Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....
as linebackers coach
Linebackers coach
A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker...
and Bill Musgrave
Bill Musgrave
William Scott Musgrave is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-Playing career:...
as the new offensive coordinator. Their first round draft pick was Christian Ponder
Christian Ponder
Christian Ponder is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Vikings with the twelfth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and signed with them on July 31, 2011, shortly after the 2011 NFL lockout ended...
, a QB from Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
The team is currently owned by Zygi Wilf, Mark Wilf
Mark Wilf
Mark Wilf is the President of the Minnesota Vikings. He is the younger brother of principal owner Zygi Wilf.He is primarily involved with the business operations of the team. He is responsible for the upgrades at the team's training facility at Winter Park....
, Jeffrey Wilf, Leonard Wilf, David Mandelbaum, Alan Landis and Reggie Fowler
Reggie Fowler
Reggie Fowler was born Reginald Dennis Fowler in February, 1959, to Al and Eloise Fowler – one of five children. Reggie is an African-American businessman who currently resides in Chandler, Arizona. He is the owner of Chandler-based and Kyrene OEM, LLC in nearby Tempe.When his father, Al,...
.
Logo and uniforms
The team's helmet is purple with a Viking horn logo on each side. Each horn is outlined in gold. The horn logo was slightly revised in 2006. The original uniform design consisted of white pants, gold trim, and either purple or white jerseys. From 1962 to 1964, the Vikings wore purple pants with their white jerseys (The Vikings, with their new uniform, still wear, on occasion, purple pants with yellow and white trim). In a design that was unique among American football teams, the white jerseys had a completely different stripe pattern, which was over the shoulders, than the purple ones, which was around the sleeve cuff. These unique shoulder stripes on the white jerseys did not appear until 1969, the year they went to their first Super Bowl. There have also been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the color of the facemask from gray to white (1980), and then to purple (1985); and adding the Norseman logo to the sleeves (1996). The Vikings wore black shoes until Les Steckel became the coach in 1984. In 2006 team returned to black shoes for first time since the 1983 season.
From 1969 through 1973, the Vikings had an alternate purple jersey without stripes for warm-weather games.
The team's uniforms were redesigned in 2006, the first significant change in the franchise's 46-year history. Although the team colors remained the same, trim lines were added to the outside shoulders and sleeves, and the sides of the jerseys and pants. In addition the horn on the helmet was slightly more defined. Included in the new design are both white and purple pants, the purple pants have not been regularly used since 2007, but resurfaced twice in 2010.
The team wore black armbands for the last four games in 1978 in memory of Jack "Jocko" Nelson, an assistant coach who died during the season. In 1985 the team wore a 25 years patch on their jerseys. In 1989, they wore a "40 for 60" patch honoring the 1969 NFL championship team. They wore a 35 years patch in 1995, 40 years in 2000 and 45 years in 2005. They also wore patches in 1999 for assistant coach Chip Myers
Chip Myers
Phillip Leon "Chip" Myers was a wide receiver who played nine Pro Football seasons, for the NFL San Francisco 49ers in 1967, the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals in 1969, and the NFL's AFC Bengals from 1970 through 1976...
who died in the offseason and in 2001 for Korey Stringer
Korey Stringer
Korey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended...
. The Vikings like the other teams wore NFL 50 and 75 year patches in 1969 and 1994.
All Purple
In an era where color TVs were rare, the Vikings (along with several other NFL teams) wore white jerseys for home games for the 1964 NFL season1964 NFL season
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to...
. This allowed fans to see the visiting teams' primary colors. In the 1960s the Vikings wore purple pants with road white jerseys. On October 11, 1964 the Vikings played the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
at Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
and the Lions mistakenly only brought their white jerseys to Minnesota. Both teams started the game in white, but by the second quarter the Vikings were able to obtain their purple tops. The Vikings changed jerseys on the sidelines during the 2nd quarter, finishing the game in purple jerseys and purple pants. It wasn't until 43 years later, on December 17, 2007 (a Monday Night Football game versus the Chicago Bears) that the Vikings again donned both purple jerseys and purple pants. Three years later, the Vikings played the November 7, 2010 home game against the Arizona Cardinals in the all-purple uniform.
Current mascots
The current team mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch). Ragnar has been working for the Vikings since 1994 and claims to be the most widely-recognized mascot in the world. Juranitch admits to being somewhat of an eccentric
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
—he holds the current world record for fastest time shaving a beard
Beard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
with an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
, but hasn't shaved his beard since he won the Ragnar job among 3,000 applicants. Ragnar drives onto the field at the beginning of the game dressed in Viking garb, on a motorcycle, while a cheerleader used to ride a snowmobile. Although never one to shy away from confrontations with opposing players, notably Ochocinco, he had a soft spot for Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
while the quarterback started for the rival Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
After several failed attempts at developing an official team-owned mascot, the Vikings finally introduced Viktor the Viking during the 2007 Vikings' season. Team officials had long indicated that they were after a mascot concept that would primarily appeal to the team's younger fan base. Viktor the Viking, a muscle-bound, blond-haired and mustachioed character wears a Vikings' #1 jersey and an oversized Vikings' helmet with protruding horns and a small yellow nose guard.
Historic mascots
From 1970 to 1992, Hub Meeds dressed as a Viking and served as the team mascot.Another mascot associated with the Vikings was "Vikadontis Rex", a purple foam dinosaur. Vikadontis was the official mascot of the Minnesota Vikings Children's Fund and took part in the 1995 Celebrity Mascot Olympics. Vikadontis was retired starting with the 2000 season. The team also had an NFL Huddles mascot in the mid 1980s, (somewhat similar to Viktor the Viking). Krazy George was also employed as a cheerleader from 1982 to 1985.
Fight song
Skol, Vikings is the fight song of the Minnesota Vikings. It was introduced around the time the team was founded in 1961 and is always played whenever the team scores as well as half time and the end of regulation.Helga hats
Viking fans are known to dress up in "Helga hats", or purple hats with white horns and blonde braids, mimicking the helmets popularly believed to have been worn by VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
warriors. The original Helga Hats are still hand assembled in the Twin Cities area.
Vikings horn
During home games at the Metrodome, the Vikings GjallarhornGjallarhorn
In Norse mythology, Gjallarhorn is a horn associated with the god Heimdallr and the wise being Mímir...
is loudly played and sounds often after the team has made a big play, gets a first down, or scores a touchdown. The team will also use the horn during its pre-game ceremonies. In addition, a flash cannon fires upon Vikings touchdowns.
The horn sounds the interval of a minor 6th in western music.
Pro Football Hall of Famers
| Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famers | |||||
| No. | Player | Position(s) | Seasons as a Viking | Year Inducted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warren Moon Warren Moon Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs... |
QB Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
1994–1996 | 2006 | |
| 3 | Jan Stenerud Jan Stenerud Jan Stenerud is a former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs , and the NFL's Chiefs , Green Bay Packers , and Minnesota Vikings .-Background:... |
K Placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points... |
1984–1985 | 1991 | |
| 10 | Fran Tarkenton Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive.... |
QB Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
1961–1966, 1972–1978 | 1986 | |
| 22 | Paul Krause | S | 1968–1979 | 1998 | |
| 39 | Hugh McElhenny Hugh McElhenny Hugh Edward McElhenny is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played from 1952–1964, for the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions. He was noted for his explosive, elusive running style and was frequently called "The... |
RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
1961–1962 | 1970 | |
| 44 | Dave Casper Dave Casper David John Casper , nicknamed "The Ghost." is a former American football player. He was an offensive lineman and tight end.-High school:... |
TE Tight end The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be... |
1983 | 2002 | |
| 58 | Jim Langer Jim Langer James John Langer is a former American football center who played for the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings. He is considered one of the greatest NFL centers of all time and a hard working and quick blocker... |
C Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
1980–1981 | 1987 | |
| 64 | Randall McDaniel Randall McDaniel Randall McDaniel is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. On January 31, 2009 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame... |
G Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
1988–1999 | 2009 | |
| 65 | Gary Zimmerman Gary Zimmerman Gary Wayne Zimmerman is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. Zimmerman played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-1992 and for the Denver Broncos from 1993-1997. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 7 times and was an All-Pro selection 8 times... |
OT | 1986–1992 | 2008 | |
| 73 | Ron Yary Ron Yary Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001... |
OT | 1968–1981 | 2001 | |
| 81 | Carl Eller Carl Eller Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
1964–1978 | 2004 | |
| 88 | Alan Page Alan Page Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of... |
DT | 1967–1978 | 1988 | |
| 93 | John Randle John Randle John Anthony Randle played defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. On February 6, 2010 he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born in Mumford, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as... |
DT | 1990–2000 | 2010 | |
| – | Jim Finks Jim Finks James Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:... |
General Manager General manager General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:... |
1964–1973 | 1995 | |
| – | Bud Grant Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team... |
Head Coach Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches... |
1967–1983, 1985 | 1994 | |
italics = played a portion of career with the Vikings and enshrined representing another team
Retired numbers
| Minnesota Vikings Retired Numbers | |
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 10 | Fran Tarkenton Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive.... |
| 53 | Mick Tingelhoff Mick Tingelhoff Henry Michael "Mick" Tingelhoff is a former football center who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1962-1978.-College career:... |
| 70 | Jim Marshall Jim Marshall (American football) James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at the Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns... |
| 77 | Korey Stringer Korey Stringer Korey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended... |
| 80 | Cris Carter Cris Carter Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins .... |
| 88 | Alan Page Alan Page Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of... |
Ring of Honor
| Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor | |||||
| No. | Player | Position(s) | Seasons as a Viking | Date Inducted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Fran Tarkenton Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive.... |
QB Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
1961–1966, 1972–1978 | September 9, 1998 | |
| 22 | Paul Krause | S | 1968–1979 | November 15, 1998 | |
| 30 | Bill Brown | RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
1962–1974 | September 26, 2004 | |
| 44 | Chuck Foreman Chuck Foreman Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:... |
RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
1973–1979 | September 30, 2007 | |
| 53 | Mick Tingelhoff Mick Tingelhoff Henry Michael "Mick" Tingelhoff is a former football center who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1962-1978.-College career:... |
C Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
1962–1978 | November 25, 2001 | |
| 55 | Scott Studwell Scott Studwell Scott Studwell is a former professional American football player. He was nicknamed "Stud". Studwell graduated from the University of Illinois, where he starred as a linebacker... |
LB | 1977–1990 | November 29, 2009 | |
| 56 | Chris Doleman Chris Doleman Christopher John Doleman is a former American Football defensive end who played in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers from 1985 to 1999. He was an 8-time Pro Bowl selection and a 3-time First-team All-Pro during his playing days, recording 150⅓ career sacks... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
1985-1993, 1999 | October 23, 2011 | |
| 64 | Randall McDaniel Randall McDaniel Randall McDaniel is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. On January 31, 2009 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame... |
G Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
1988–1999 | December 17, 2006 | |
| 70 | Jim Marshall Jim Marshall (American football) James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at the Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
1961–1979 | November 28, 1999 | |
| 73 | Ron Yary Ron Yary Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001... |
OT | 1968–1981 | September 9, 2001 | |
| 77 | Korey Stringer Korey Stringer Korey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended... |
OT | 1995–2000 | November 19, 2001 | |
| 80 | Cris Carter Cris Carter Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins .... |
WR Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
1990–2001 | September 14, 2003 | |
| 81 | Carl Eller Carl Eller Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
1964–1978 | November 10, 2002 | |
| 88 | Alan Page Alan Page Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of... |
DT | 1967–1978 | September 20, 1998 | |
| 93 | John Randle John Randle John Anthony Randle played defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. On February 6, 2010 he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born in Mumford, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as... |
DT | 1990–2000 | November 30, 2008 | |
| – | Jerry Burns Jerry Burns Jerome Monahan "Jerry" Burns is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Iowa, from 1961 to 1965, compiling record of 16–27–2, and for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL from 1986 to 1991, tallying a mark of... |
Head Coach Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches... |
1986–1991 | November 6, 2005 | |
| – | Jim Finks Jim Finks James Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:... |
General Manager General manager General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:... |
1964–1973 | October 18, 1998 | |
| – | Bud Grant Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team... |
Head Coach Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches... |
1967–1983, 1985 | November 8, 1998 | |
| – | Fred Zamberletti | Medical Adviser | 1961–present | December 20, 1998 | |
25th Anniversary Team (1985)
|
Jim Marshall (American football) James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at the Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns... DE, #70 Alan Page Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of... DT, #88 Gary Larsen Gary Larsen was a defensive tackle in the NFL and played college football at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota. He started his NFL career in 1964 with the Los Angeles Rams and then became a part of the famous Purple People Eaters for the Minnesota Vikings from 1965 through 1974... DT, #77 Carl Eller Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota... DE, #81 Matt Blair Matt Blair was an outside linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for all 12 seasons of his career from 1974 to 1985.-Career:... OLB, #59 Scott Studwell Scott Studwell is a former professional American football player. He was nicknamed "Stud". Studwell graduated from the University of Illinois, where he starred as a linebacker... ILB, #55 Jeff Siemon Jeffrey Glenn Siemon is a former professional American football player and an inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame.... ILB, #50 Roy Winston Roy Charles Winston is a former professional American football player.Roy Winston graduated from Louisiana State University, where he starred as an offensive guard... OLB, #60 Bobby Bryant Bobby Bryant was a cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings during the days of the Purple People Eaters . Bryant was a fierce competitor despite his size leading to the nickname "Bones"... CB, #20 Ed Sharockman Edward Charles "Ed" Sharockman is a former professional American football defensive back.Sharockman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, where he starred as a cornerback. He played 11 seasons in the National Football League, all with the Minnesota Vikings . He started in Super Bowl IV.... CB, #45 Paul Krause Paul James Krause is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League... S, #22 Karl Kassulke Karl Otto Kassulke was a former professional American football player.Kassulke graduated from Drake University, where he starred as a safety. He played 10 seasons in the National Football League, all with the Minnesota Vikings... S, #29 Greg Coleman Gregory Jerome Coleman is a retired American football punter who had a 12-year career in the National Football League playing for the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins. He attended Florida A&M University... P, #8 |
Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team... HC |
40th Anniversary Team (2000)
|
Jim Marshall (American football) James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at the Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns... DE, #70 Alan Page Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of... DT, #88 John Randle John Anthony Randle played defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. On February 6, 2010 he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born in Mumford, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as... DT, #93 Carl Eller Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota... DE, #81 Matt Blair Matt Blair was an outside linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for all 12 seasons of his career from 1974 to 1985.-Career:... LB, #59 Scott Studwell Scott Studwell is a former professional American football player. He was nicknamed "Stud". Studwell graduated from the University of Illinois, where he starred as a linebacker... LB, #55 Jeff Siemon Jeffrey Glenn Siemon is a former professional American football player and an inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame.... LB, #50 Bobby Bryant Bobby Bryant was a cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings during the days of the Purple People Eaters . Bryant was a fierce competitor despite his size leading to the nickname "Bones"... CB, #20 Paul Krause Paul James Krause is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League... S, #22 Joey Browner Joey Matthew Browner is a former American football strong safety for the Minnesota Vikings from 1983 until 1991.-Professional career:... S, #47 |
Greg Coleman Gregory Jerome Coleman is a retired American football punter who had a 12-year career in the National Football League playing for the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins. He attended Florida A&M University... P, #8 Fred Cox Frederick William Cox is a former National Football League kicker who played for the Minnesota Vikings throughout his career . Fred was raised in Monongahela, PA, where his family owned a grocery store... K, #14 Darrin Nelson Darren Milo Nelson is a former professional American football player in the National Football League.... KR, #20 |
50 Greatest Vikings (2010)
|
Chuck Foreman Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early career:... Running Back, #44 John Gilliam John Rally Gilliam was an American football wide receiver.Gilliam was a receiver out of South Carolina State University, and was drafted in the second round by the expansion New Orleans Saints. He played his first two seasons in New Orleans, and then had stints with the St... Wide Receiver, #42 Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team... Coach Wally Hilgenberg Walter Hilgenberg was a professional American football player.Hilgenberg was born in Marshalltown, Iowa in 1942. His family moved to Wilton where he grew up and graduated from Wilton High School.... Linebacker, #58 Tim Irwin Timothy Edward Irwin was an offensive tackle for the Tennessee Volunteers in college and played in the NFL for 14 years. Most of his professional career was with the Minnesota Vikings.... Tackle, #76 Steve Jordan (American football) Steven Russell Jordan is a former American football tight end who played his entire career with the Minnesota Vikings... Tight End, #83 Tommy Kramer Thomas Francis Kramer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the NFL from 1977 to 1990... Quarterback, #9 Paul Krause Paul James Krause is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League... Safety, #22 Gary Larsen Gary Larsen was a defensive tackle in the NFL and played college football at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota. He started his NFL career in 1964 with the Los Angeles Rams and then became a part of the famous Purple People Eaters for the Minnesota Vikings from 1965 through 1974... Defensive Tackle, #77 Jim Marshall (American football) James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at the Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns... Defensive End, #70 Randall McDaniel Randall McDaniel is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. On January 31, 2009 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame... Guard, #64 |
Keith Millard Keith Millard is a former American football defensive tackle who played nine seasons for the Minnesota Vikings, the Green Bay Packers, the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1985 to 1993 in the National Football League.... Defensive Tackle, #75 Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft... Wide Receiver, #84 Dave Osborn Dave Osborn is a former professional American football player who played running back for twelve seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.... Running Back, #41 Alan Page Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of... Defensive Tackle, #88 John Randle John Anthony Randle played defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. On February 6, 2010 he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born in Mumford, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as... Defensive Tackle, #93 Ahmad Rashad Ahmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals... Wide Receiver, #28 Ed Sharockman Edward Charles "Ed" Sharockman is a former professional American football defensive back.Sharockman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, where he starred as a cornerback. He played 11 seasons in the National Football League, all with the Minnesota Vikings . He started in Super Bowl IV.... Cornerback, #45 Jeff Siemon Jeffrey Glenn Siemon is a former professional American football player and an inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame.... Linebacker, #50 Scott Studwell Scott Studwell is a former professional American football player. He was nicknamed "Stud". Studwell graduated from the University of Illinois, where he starred as a linebacker... Linebacker, #55 Doug Sutherland (American football) Douglas A. Sutherland is a former American football defensive tackle in the NFL and played college football at the University of Wisconsin–Superior. He was selected in the 1970 NFL Draft with the New Orleans Saints and then became a part of the famous Purple People Eaters for the Minnesota Vikings... Defensive Tackle, #69 Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive.... Quarterback, #10 |
Henry Thomas Henry Jackson Thomas, Jr. is an American actor and musician. He has appeared in more than 40 films and is best known for his role as Elliott in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.-Early life:... Defensive Tackle, #97 Mick Tingelhoff Henry Michael "Mick" Tingelhoff is a former football center who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1962-1978.-College career:... Center, #53 Stu Voigt Stu Voigt is a former NFL tight end.Voigt was born in 1948 in the rough and tumble Westmorland district of Madison, Wisconsin. He graduated from Madison West High School in 1966, where he was an all-state running back and track and field standout. His state record in shot put of 66 feet... Tight End, #83 Gene Washington (Vikings) Eugene Washington is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos . He wore #84 for Minnesota and Denver.-College career:... Wide Receiver, #84 Sammy White (American football) Sammy White is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL.After attending Grambling State University, White played all ten seasons of his professional career as a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, winning the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year and UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of... Wide Receiver, #85 Antoine Winfield Antoine Winfield is an American football cornerback in the NFL. He played college football at The Ohio State University, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back in 1998. Winfield was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Since 2004, he... Cornerback, #26 Roy Winston Roy Charles Winston is a former professional American football player.Roy Winston graduated from Louisiana State University, where he starred as an offensive guard... Linebacker, #60 Ron Yary Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001... Tackle, #73 Gary Zimmerman Gary Wayne Zimmerman is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. Zimmerman played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-1992 and for the Denver Broncos from 1993-1997. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 7 times and was an All-Pro selection 8 times... Tackle, #65 |
Head coaches
| Name | Years | Won | Lost | Ties | Winning % | Post Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norm Van Brocklin Norm Van Brocklin Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL... |
1961–1966 | 29 | 51 | 4 | .363 | – |
| Bud Grant Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team... |
1967–1983 | 151 | 87 | 5 | .634 | 1968–71, 1973–78, 1980, 1982 |
| Les Steckel Les Steckel Les Steckel was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1984. He has also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Biography:... |
1984 | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | – |
| Bud Grant Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team... |
1985 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | – |
| Jerry Burns Jerry Burns Jerome Monahan "Jerry" Burns is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Iowa, from 1961 to 1965, compiling record of 16–27–2, and for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL from 1986 to 1991, tallying a mark of... |
1986–1991 | 52 | 43 | 0 | .547 | 1987–89 |
| Dennis Green Dennis Green Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League... |
1992–2001 | 97 | 62 | 0 | .610 | 1992–94, 1996–2000 |
| Mike Tice Mike Tice Michael Peter Tice is an American football National Football League coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears.-Playing career:... |
2001–2005 | 32 | 33 | 0 | .492 | 2004 |
| Brad Childress Brad Childress Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois... |
2006–2010 | 40 | 37 | 0 | .519 | 2008, 2009 |
| Leslie Frazier Leslie Frazier Leslie Antonio Frazier is a former cornerback/safety in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and is currently the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings.-College career:... |
2010–Present | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | |
| Total | 1961–present | 416 | 347 | 9 | .545 | 26 |
Radio and television
The Vikings' flagship radio station is KFANKFAN (AM)
* See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St...
-AM (1130). The games are also heard on the "KFAN Radio Network" in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, and North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, as well as many other outlets. Paul Allen has been the play-by-play announcer since the 2002 NFL season
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
and Pete Bercich
Pete Bercich
Peter James Bercich is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Notre Dame. He played five seasons for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings . He has served as the color commentator on the Vikings Radio Network since...
is the analyst, who began his first season in 2007.
Telecasts of preseason games not shown on national networks are aired on KARE
KARE
KARE, digital channel 11, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota and portions of western Wisconsin. It also operates KARE WX NOW, formerly known as NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel...
(Channel 11) in the Twin Cities with Ari Wolfe
Ari Wolfe
Ari Wolfe is a play-by-play announcer of college and professional sports on both television and radio.-Early life and career:As a student at USC, Wolfe did both play-by-play and color commentary for the Trojans' basketball, football, and baseball teams on KSCR in Los Angeles.Born in Philadelphia...
doing play-by-play.
Minnesota
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Aitkin Aitkin, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 1,984 people, 892 households, and 434 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,150.3 people per square mile . There were 969 housing units at an average density of 561.8 per square mile... |
KKIN-FM KKIN-FM KKIN-FM is a Classic Country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Aitkin, Minnesota, serving Aitkin and Aitkin County, Minnesota. KKIN-FM is owned and operated by Red Rock Radio Corporation.-Programming:... |
94.3 FM |
| Albert Lea Albert Lea, Minnesota Albert Lea is a city in and the county seat of Freeborn County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 18,016 at the 2010 census.... |
KQPR KQPR KQPR is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Albert Lea, Minnesota, USA, the station serves the Albert Lea-Austin area. The station is currently owned by Hometown Broadcasting.-External links:*... -FM |
96.1 FM |
| Alexandria Alexandria, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 8,820 people, however the most recent count suggests a population upwards of 10,000, which is displayed on Alexandria's city limits signs. The census lists 4,047 households, and 2,011 families residing in the city. The population density was 992.5 people per... |
KIKV-FM | 100.7 FM |
| Bemidji Bemidji, Minnesota Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,... |
KBUN KBUN KBUN, "Sports Radio AM 1450", is a sports radio station in Bemidji, Minnesota. The small local station first went on the air in 1946, and broadcasts with 1,000 watts. It is now owned and operated by Paul Bunyan Broadcasting. The Bemidji studios are located at 502 Beltrami Avenue, downtown Bemidji... -AM |
1450 AM |
| Bemidji Bemidji, Minnesota Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,... |
KBHP-FM | 101.1 FM |
| Benson Benson, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 3,376 people, 1,451 households, and 880 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,360.5 people per square mile . There were 1,566 housing units at an average density of 631.1 per square mile... |
KSCR-FM KSCR-FM KSCR-FM is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits music format. Licensed to Benson, Minnesota, USA. The station is currently owned by Quest Broadcasting, Inc.-History:... |
93.5 FM |
| Blue Earth Blue Earth, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 3,621 people, 1,535 households, and 925 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,137.0 people per square mile . There were 1,666 housing units at an average density of 523.1 per square mile... |
KBEW-FM KBEW-FM KBEW-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA, the station is currently owned by Kbew, Inc..-History:... |
98.1 FM |
| Brainerd Brainerd, Minnesota Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,590 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County and one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota... |
KBLB KBLB KBLB is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Nisswa, Minnesota, USA, the station serves the Brainerd area. The station is currently owned by BL Broadcasting, Inc... -FM |
93.3 FM |
| Crookston Crookston, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 8,192 people, 3,078 households, and 1,819 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,658.8 people per square mile . There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 684.8 per square mile... |
KROX-AM | 1260 AM |
| Dassel Dassel, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 1,233 people, 515 households, and 313 families residing in the city. The population density was 832.7 people per square mile . There were 551 housing units at an average density of 372.1 per square mile... |
KARP-FM KARP-FM KARP-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Dassel, Minnesota, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1968, is currently owned by Iowa City Broadcasting Company.-Programming:... |
106.9 FM |
| Detroit Lakes Detroit Lakes, Minnesota -Demographics:As of the official census of 2000, there were 7,348 people, 3,319 households, and 1,845 families permanently residing in the city. The population density was 980.4 people per square mile . There were 3,782 housing units at an average density of 504.6 per square mile... |
KBOT KBOT KBOT is a radio station licensed to Pelican Rapids, Minnesota that serves Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The station is owned by Leighton Broadcasting... -FM |
104.1 FM |
| Duluth Duluth, Minnesota Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,... |
KQDS KQDS (AM) KQDS is a radio station in Duluth, Minnesota. The station is owned by Red River Broadcasting of Fargo, North Dakota. The studios are located at Grandma's Marketplace, 501 Lake Ave South in Canal Park, Duluth.... -AM |
1490 AM |
| Duluth Duluth, Minnesota Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,... |
KQDS-FM KQDS-FM KQDS-FM is a classic rock music formatted radio station located in Duluth, Minnesota. It is owned by Red River Broadcasting, and follows a format similar to that of the well-known KQRS-FM in the Twin Cities.... |
94.9 FM |
| Ely Ely, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 3,724 people, 1,912 households, and 916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,369.5 people per square mile . There were 1,912 housing units at an average density of 703.2 per square mile... |
WELY WELY WELY are radio stations based in the small town of Ely, Minnesota. WELY serves the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of far northern Minnesota.... -AM |
1450 AM |
| Ely Ely, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 3,724 people, 1,912 households, and 916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,369.5 people per square mile . There were 1,912 housing units at an average density of 703.2 per square mile... |
WELY WELY WELY are radio stations based in the small town of Ely, Minnesota. WELY serves the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of far northern Minnesota.... -FM |
94.5 FM |
| Fergus Falls Fergus Falls, Minnesota Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,138 at the 2010 census.-Today:... |
KBRF KBRF KBRF is a radio station broadcasting a news talk information format. Licensed to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, USA, the station serves the Fergus Falls-Detroit Lakes area.... -AM |
1250 AM |
| Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 7,764 people, 3,446 households, and 1,943 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,057.8 people per square mile . There were 3,621 housing units at an average density of 493.3 per square mile... |
KMFY KMFY KMFY is a radio station on 96.9 FM in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Most of its programing is from ABC Radio's Hits and Favorites satellite fed adult contemporary format... -FM |
96.9 FM |
| Grand Marais Grand Marais, Minnesota Grand Marais is a city in Cook County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,351 at the 2010 census. It is also the county seat of Cook County... |
WXXZ-FM | 95.3 FM |
| Hibbing Hibbing, Minnesota Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,361 at the 2010 census. The city was built on the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range. At the edge of town is the largest open-pit iron mine in the world. U.S... |
WNMT WNMT WNMT is a talk radio station in Hibbing, Minnesota that broadcasts over the preassigned frequency of 650 AM. Currently WNMT is owned by Midwest Communications. Midwest also owns six radio stations on the Iron Range; KMFG, WMFG, WMFG-FM, WNMT, WTBX, WUSZ. All six stations share the same studio... -AM |
650 AM |
| International Falls International Falls, Minnesota International Falls is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,424 at the 2010 census.... |
KSDM KSDM KSDM is a radio station licensed to International Falls, Minnesota, USA, the station serves the International Falls area. KSDM broadcasts a country music format, from the Dial Global network. The studios are at 519 Third Street, also with sister station KGHS. Both also share a one tower... -FM |
104.1 FM |
| Jackson Jackson, Minnesota Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,299 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County.-Geography:... |
KRAQ-FM | 105.7 FM |
| Marshall Marshall, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 12,735 people, 4,914 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,537.0 people per square mile . There were 5,182 housing units at an average density of 625.4 per square mile... |
KARL KARL KARL is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Tracy, Minnesota, the station serves the Marshall, Minnesota area. The station is currently owned by Linder Radio Group.-External links:*... -FM |
105.1 FM |
| Morris Morris, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 5,068 people, 1,929 households, and 985 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,183.2 people per square mile . There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 482.6 per square mile... |
KKOK-FM KKOK-FM KKOK-FM , also known as "Prairies Hit Country", is a Country formatted radio station in Morris, Minnesota owned by Iowa City Broadcasting Company, Inc.It is located at 46671 State Hwy 28, along with sister station KMRS.-External links:*... |
95.7 FM |
| Mankato Mankato, Minnesota Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located... |
KYSM KYSM (AM) *See also KFAN Sports Radio NetworkKYSM is a radio station licensed to Mankato, Minnesota and serving the greater Mankato area and the Minnesota River Valley with a sports format. The station is an affiliate of the regional KFAN Sports Radio Network and Fox Sports Radio... -AM |
1230 AM |
| Mankato Mankato, Minnesota Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located... |
KXLP KXLP KXLP is a radio station licensed to Eagle Lake, Minnesota and serving the Mankato area and the Minnesota River Valley. The 94.1 FM frequency went on the air September 21, 2007, airing a classic rock format that migrated from a sister station at KATO-FM... -FM |
94.1 FM |
| Minneapolis Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States... |
KFXN-FM | 100.3 FM |
| Pine City Pine City, Minnesota Pine City is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,123 at the 2010 census. Pine City is the county seat of, and the largest city in, Pine County... |
WCMP-FM WCMP-FM WCMP-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Pine City, Minnesota. It airs a Country music format.It is owned by Red Rock Radio, and has studios at 15429 Pokegama Lake Rd... |
100.9 FM |
| Rochester Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the... |
KFAN KFAN (AM) * See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St... -AM |
1270 AM |
| Rochester Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the... |
KRCH KRCH KRCH is a radio station located in Rochester, Minnesota, owned by Clear Channel Communications. The stations airs a Classic rock format.-"Laser 101.7" Morning Show :... -FM |
101.7 FM |
| St. Cloud St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County... |
WJON WJON WJON is a radio station in St. Cloud, Minnesota airing a News/Talk format. The station is owned by Townsquare Media. Its main competitors are Leighton Broadcasting's KNSI of St. Cloud and WCCO and KTLK-FM of Minneapolis.... -AM |
1240 AM |
| Spring Grove Spring Grove, Minnesota Spring Grove is a city in Houston County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land... |
KQYB KQYB KQYB is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Spring Grove, Minnesota, USA, the station serves the La Crosse area. The station is currently owned by Family Radio, Inc..-Translators:... -FM |
98.3 FM |
| Staples Staples, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 3,104 people, 1,278 households, and 732 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.5 people per square mile . There were 1,436 housing units at an average density of 316.7 per square mile... |
KSKK KSKK KSKK is a adult contemporary music formatted radio station in Wadena, Minnesota and the Brainerd Lakes Area. . The Arrow is owned by De La Hunt Broadcasting... -FM |
94.7 FM |
| Thief River Falls Thief River Falls, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 8,410 people, 3,619 households, and 2,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,760.0 people per square mile . There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 822.7 per square mile... |
KTRF KTRF KTRF is a radio station in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The station is part of the Minnesota News/Farm Network. KTRF reports local news, sports, weather, community information and obituaries... -AM |
1230 AM |
| Wadena Wadena, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 4,294 people, 1,871 households, and 1,062 families residing in the city. The population density was 818.4 people per square mile . There were 1,964 housing units at an average density of 374.3 per square mile... |
KVKK KVKK KVKK is a radio station licensed to serve Verndale, Minnesota, USA. The station is owned by De La Hunt Broadcasting and the broadcast license is held by DJ Broadcasting Corp.... -AM |
1070 AM |
| Waseca Waseca, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 8,493 people, 3,388 households, and 2,219 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,215.6 people per square mile . There were 3,563 housing units at an average density of 929.5 per square mile... |
KOWZ KOWZ (AM) KOWZ is a radio station broadcasting an News/Talk format. Licensed to serve Waseca, Minnesota, the station serves the Owatonna-Waseca area. The station is currently owned by Linder Radio Group.-External links:*... -AM |
1170 AM |
| Willmar Willmar, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 18,351 people, 7,302 households, and 4,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.9 people per square mile . There were 7,789 housing units at an average density of 657.8 per square mile... |
KWLM-AM | 1340 AM |
| Winona Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf.... |
KWNO KWNO (AM) KWNO is an American radio station which first went on the air in 1938. It was the first local radio station in Winona, Minnesota. It was Winona's only station until the mid-1950s.... |
1230 AM |
Iowa
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857... |
KXNO KXNO KXNO is a sports radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. It is located at 1460 on the AM band.-History:KXNO's roots can be traced back to KSO , a station that first broadcast from Clarinda, Iowa, on November 2, 1925... -AM |
1460 AM |
| Mason City Mason City, Iowa Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties.... |
KGLO KGLO KGLO is a radio station licensed to serve Mason City, Iowa. The station is owned by Three Eagles Communications and licensed to Three Eagles Communications, Inc. It airs a News/Talk radio format. The station aired an adult contemporary format during the 1980s.The station's call letters reflect... -AM |
1300 AM |
| Sioux City Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state.... |
KMNS KMNS KMNS is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Located near Sioux City, Iowa, USA, the station also serves the Sioux Falls area. The station is licensed to AMFM Radio Licenses, LLC.-External links:... -AM |
620 AM |
| Spencer Spencer, Iowa Spencer is a city in the state of Iowa , and the county seat of Clay County . It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers. The population was 11,233 in the 2010 census, a decline from 11,317 in the 2000 census. Spencer is famous as the home of the Clay County Fair,... |
KICD KICD (AM) KICD is a radio station licensed to serve the community of Spencer, Iowa. The station broadcasts a Talk radio format. KICD is owned by Saga Communications and licensed to Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC.... -AM |
1240 AM |
North Dakota
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Bismarck Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779... |
KXMR KXMR KXMR is a radio station located in Bismarck, North Dakota, airing ESPN Radio, and is owned by Clear Channel Communications. ESPN 710 broadcasts Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings games.... -AM |
710 AM |
| Carrington Carrington, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 2,268 people, 961 households, and 594 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,531.9 people per square mile . There were 1,057 housing units at an average density of 713.9 per square mile... |
KDAK KDAK KDAK is a radio station licensed to serve Carrington, North Dakota. The station is owned by Ingstad Family Media. KDAK, along with KDDR in Oakes, simulcast KOVC of Valley City with a Country music format.... -AM |
1600 AM |
| Devils Lake Devils Lake, North Dakota As of the 2000 Census, there were 7,222 people, 3,127 households, and 1,773 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,508 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.23% White, 0.22% African American, 7.84% Native American, 0.28%... |
KDLR KDLR KDLR is an American commercial radio station licensed to serve Devils Lake, North Dakota. The station is owned by Double Z Broadcasting, Inc., and operated along with its three sister stations under the collective name Lake Region Radio Works... -AM |
1240 AM |
| Dickinson Dickinson, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 16,010 people, 6,517 households, and 4,020 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,690.7 inhabitants per square mile . There were 7,033 housing units at an average density of 742.7 per square mile... |
KLTC KLTC KLTC is a radio station broadcasting an Information/classic country format serving Southwestern North Dakota, Southeastern Montana and Northwestern South Dakota from Dickinson, North Dakota. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.KLTC is an ABC Information affiliate and... -AM |
1460 AM |
| Fargo Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777... |
KFGO KFGO KFGO is a radio station broadcasting a news and talk radio format serving the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Radio Fargo-Moorhead, Inc. All the offices and studios are located at 1020 S. 25th Street in Fargo... -AM |
790 AM |
| Fargo Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777... |
KRWK-FM | 101.9 FM |
| Grand Forks Grand Forks, North Dakota Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461... |
KKXL KKXL (AM) KKXL is a radio station broadcasting an sports format serving Grand Forks, North Dakota. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.... -AM |
1440 AM |
| Minot Minot, North Dakota Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state... |
KRRZ KRRZ KRRZ "Classic Hits 1390" is an classic hits radio station in Minot, North Dakota owned by Clear Channel Communications. KRRZ also airs Minnesota Vikings games during the football season.... -AM |
1390 AM |
| Oakes Oakes, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 1,979 people, 828 households, and 495 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,203.0 people per square mile . There were 908 housing units at an average density of 552.0 per square mile... |
KDDR KDDR KDDR is a radio station licensed to serve Oakes, North Dakota. The station is owned by Ingstad Family Media. KDDR, along with KDAK in Carrington, simulcast KOVC of Valley City with a Country music format.... -AM |
1220 AM |
| Valley City Valley City, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 6,826 people, 2,996 households, and 1,668 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,062.5 per square mile . There were 3,250 housing units at an average density of 982.0 per square mile... |
KOVC KOVC KOVC is a radio station based in Valley City, North Dakota, USA. It is a full service station, with frequent weather, news and sports updates... -AM |
1490 AM |
| Wahpeton Wahpeton, North Dakota The first European explorer in the area was Jonathan Carver in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of Major Robert Rogers, commander of Fort Michilimackinac, the British fort at Mackinaw City, Michigan, which protected the passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron... |
KBMW KBMW KBMW is a radio station broadcasting a country format. Licensed to Breckenridge, Minnesota, it serves the Wahpeton-Breckenridge area. The station is located in downtown Wahpeton and is currently owned by Triad Broadcasting, which owns several radio stations in nearby Fargo, North Dakota.-External... -AM |
1450 AM |
| Williston Williston, North Dakota -Demographics:Preliminary data from a 2010 housing study indicates that population has grown by nearly 22 percent over the past decade; the actual increase might be much higher. Williston is in western North Dakota's booming oil patch, and adequate, affordable housing has become a concern. The... |
KEYZ KEYZ KEYZ is a local radio station in Williston, North Dakota. The station broadcasts news and information, as well as country music 24 hours a day. KEYZ has a 5000 watt powerhouse signal that covers 20+ counties and 2 Canadian provinces.... -AM |
660 AM |
South Dakota
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Aberdeen, South Dakota Aberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, about 125 mi northeast of Pierre. Settled in 1880, it was incorporated in 1882. The city population was 26,091 at the 2010 census. The American News is the local newspaper... |
KSDN KSDN (AM) KSDN is a radio station licensed to serve Aberdeen, South Dakota. The station is owned by Armada Media Corporation, and licensed to Armada Media - Aberdeen, Inc... -AM |
930 AM |
| Milbank Milbank, South Dakota Milbank is a city in Grant County, South Dakota, along the South Fork of the Whetstone River. The population was 3,353 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. In 1925 The American Legion Department of South Dakota established a new program for high school aged youth that grew... |
KMSD KMSD KMSD 1510-AM is a radio station licensed to serve Milbank, South Dakota. The station is owned by Armada Media Corporation and licensed to Armada Media - Watertown, Inc. It airs an Oldies/News/Talk format-Ownership:... -AM |
1510 AM |
| Mobridge Mobridge, South Dakota Mobridge is a city in Walworth County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 3,465 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Mobridge is located at .... |
KMLO KMLO KMLO is a radio station licensed to serve Lowry, South Dakota. The station is owned by James River Broadcasting. It airs a Country music format.All three Mobridge James River Broadcasting stations share studios at 118 3rd St... -FM |
100.7 FM |
| Pierre Pierre, South Dakota Pierre is the capital of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County. The population was 13,646 at the 2010 census, making it the second least populous state capital after Montpelier, Vermont... |
KPLO-FM KPLO-FM KPLO-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Reliance, South Dakota. The station is owned by James River Broadcasting. It airs a Country music format.... |
94.5 FM |
| Rapid City Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid... |
KRKI KRKI KRKI is a radio station licensed to serve Newcastle, Wyoming but has an application to change the city of license to Keystone, South Dakota. The station serves Rapid City, South Dakota, with an on-channel broadcast booster licensed as KRKI-FM1... -FM |
99.5 FM |
| Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south... |
KWSN KWSN KWSN is a radio station carrying a sports format with Fox Sports Radio programming. The station serves the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, area... -AM |
1230 AM |
| Sisseton Sisseton, South Dakota Sisseton is a city on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation in Roberts County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,470 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Roberts County. Sisseton is home to a number of attractions including the Nicollett Tower and is near the "Song to the... |
KBWS-FM KBWS-FM KBWS-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Sisseton, South Dakota.The station is owned by Armada Media Corporation and licensed to Armada Media - Watertown, Inc... |
102.9 FM |
| Watertown Watertown, South Dakota Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties... |
KWAT KWAT KWAT is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format serving the Watertown, South Dakota area. The station is currently owned by Three Eagles Communications.KWAT is an ag based radio station... -AM |
950 AM |
| Yankton Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton was the original capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota Native Americans... |
WNAX WNAX (AM) WNAX is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. It is licensed to Yankton, South Dakota. Due to the flat landscape of the Upper Great Plains and its location near the bottom end of the AM band, the station's 5,000-watt signal covers large portions of South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa,... -AM |
570 AM |
Wisconsin
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Amery Amery, Wisconsin Amery is a city in Polk County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Apple River. The population was 2,845 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Amery is located at .... |
WLMX-FM WLMX-FM WLMX-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Hits format. Licensed to Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, USA, it serves the Amery, Wisconsin area. The station is currently owned by Red Rock Radio Corp... |
104.9 FM |
| Eau Claire Eau Claire, Wisconsin Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,... |
WMEQ WMEQ (AM) WMEQ is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA, the station serves the Eau Claire area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications and features programing from Fox News Radio, Premiere Radio Networks and Westwood... -AM |
880 AM |
| Hayward Hayward, Wisconsin Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Hayward.-Transportation:U.S... |
WHSM-FM WHSM-FM WHSM-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Hayward, Wisconsin, USA. The station is owned by the Red Rock Radio Corporation.... |
101.1 FM |
| Rice Lake Rice Lake, Wisconsin Rice Lake is a city in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,320. The city is located mostly within the Town of Rice Lake.-Geography:Rice Lake is located at .... |
WKFX WKFX WKFX is a radio station broadcasting a Classic Hits music format. Licensed to Rice Lake, Wisconsin, USA, the station serves the Rice Lake-Spooner area. The station is currently owned by TKC, Inc.... -FM |
99.1 FM |