Fresh off a thrilling Minnesota Vikings playoff game, U.S. Bank Stadium is being prepared to host Super Bowl LII.
On Sunday, the Vikings pulled off a tight victory over the New Orleans Saints to advance to the NFC Championship Game. Winning the first playoff game in U.S. Bank Stadium history puts the Vikings one step closer to the Super Bowl, but if they are to reach the big game, they will have to travel to Philadelphia and defeat the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
In the meantime, work is underway at U.S. Bank Stadium to prepare for the upcoming Super Bowl. While Sunday’s playoff game resulted in that work being delayed, it is now moving forward as officials have plenty of tasks to complete before the stadium is ready. More from The Star Tribune:
“Some of that work was important to get moving on quickly,” said Peter O’Reilly, senior vice president of events for the NFL, which officially took over the stadium on Sunday after the game.
About 11 p.m. Sunday, workers marched onto the field and began peeling the purple turf from the end zones; it will be replaced with the still-to-be-determined colors of the NFC and AFC champions. Also gone, at least temporarily, is the Vikings Norseman insignia at midfield, to make room for the Super Bowl logo. NFL-sponsored branding will start appearing throughout the stadium.
Crews worked in below-zero temperatures installing a 50-by-100-foot electronic screen on the giant glass doors, which will be used to display promotional images leading up to the game.
Originally, the league was scheduled to take over the stadium Jan. 2, but the Vikings’ extended playoff run delayed that two weeks.
Super Bowl LII will be played on February 4, and is the first to be staged in Minneapolis since Super Bowl XXVI took place at the Metrodome in 1992.
Image courtesy Minnesota Vikings.