One day after the Minnesota State House revamped the Vikings’ stadium bill, the Minnesota Senate got their turn at it on Tuesday. The House overhauled the $975 million proposal on Monday, altering the deal and requiring the team to come up with an additional $105 million. The Senate came in with a slightly better deal, but still would require the team to contribute an additional $25 million.
The Senate also added measures that apply a 10 percent “fee” on suites and parking within a half mile of the stadium, and a 6.875 percent fee on Vikings clothing, trading cards and memorabilia. The final provision must be passed by both the House and Senate, so the differences in the bill must be reconciled first before a re-vote. It looks pretty clear that the Vikings would have to come up with additional cash, somewhere between $25 and $105 million, something the Vikings have said they are unwilling to do.
We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out for the Vikings, and what their response will be, but at this point the future of NFL football in Minneapolis remains murky at best. The current stadium lease expires after this season, so 2012 could be the last season for the Vikings in Minnesota.
