Vote On Vikings Stadium Deal Likely To Be Delayed

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton announced Wednesday that the state decision on financing a new football stadium would be pushed back past the date when the team’s current lease binding it to Minnesota runs out, according to ESPN. Dayton, according to ESPN, had planned to release his own stadium proposal next week, possibly as early as Monday.

"My timetable has been rejected by the Legislature," Dayton said. "Now the question is, what's their timetable?"

Dayton, according to ESPN, was upset that leading lawmakers - including House Speaker Kurt Zellers - would not get on board with his plan for a special legislative session in late November to vote on financing for a new stadium. Zellers said that the issue should wait until lawmakers convene the 2012 session in January, according to ESPN.

The Vikings issued a statement on Wednesday that called the turn of events “very disappointing” and Vikings Vice President of Public Affairs/Stadium Development Lester Bagley noted that the Vikings “will be the only team without a lease.”

"The strategy of avoiding a stadium issue has not worked," Bagley said. "It only gets more costly and more difficult to resolve, especially if they allow the lease to expire with no action."