Inside The Vikings

Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium Again Ranked as NFL's Best Venue

The Athletic has once again ranked U.S. Bank Stadium as the league's best.
Will Ragatz|
Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium Again Ranked as NFL's Best Venue
Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium Again Ranked as NFL's Best Venue

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Minnesota Vikings

U.S. Bank Stadium is still on top.

Back in 2020, The Athletic's beat writers ranked the Vikings' home venue as the best stadium in the NFL. Three years later, they've updated the list for the first time and U.S. Bank Stadium still reigns supreme, even with new competition from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

These are voted on by all 30 of the site's NFL beat writers.

This wasn’t even close. Half of the voters placed it No. 1 in their rankings. It also topped our list three years ago. Although it’s an indoor venue, half of the roof is transparent and the wall behind the end zone facing downtown Minneapolis is glass, allowing in a considerable amount of natural light. It opened in 2016, making it one of the league’s newest stadiums. It also helps that the Vikings do an excellent job with their pregame and in-game presentation.

“I cannot think of another way to say this: U.S. Bank Stadium feels natural,” Vikings reporter Alec Lewis wrote. “And for a domed building, that is an incredible feat. Maybe it’s the natural light that drifts in from the front end of the stadium through crystal glass. Or, maybe it’s particular dimensions that make the inside feel right — not like a gigantic warehouse, and not like a claustrophobic cave. The history of the franchise and the Skol chants and the fake snow all contribute to the overall experience. But the stadium, in general, is the perfect representation of what an indoor arena should look and feel like on a Sunday.”

Well said, Alec.

SoFi, Lambeau Field, AT&T Stadium (Dallas), and Lumen Field (Seattle) round out the top five. Elsewhere in the NFC North, Detroit's Ford Field ranks 14th and Chicago's Soldier Field ranks 23rd.

The Vikings are 41-19 at U.S. Bank Stadium (regular season and playoffs) since it opened in 2016.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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