Season ticket holders got their first glimpse of what the 2017 season will look like at TCF Bank Stadium this past Tuesday at the Minnesota United stadium tour event. More than 1,000 fans crowded the stadium to check out the views, meet with account executives and share in the excitement of the upcoming inaugural season of Major League Soccer in Minnesota.
"I was thrilled with the engagement, it was a lot of people showing up which is obviously huge, there was a lot of people who were really engaged in the process and excited to see where they were going to sit,” said Minnesota United Senior Director of Ticket Sales Sean Sittnick. “I think it represented a new stage of where we are as a club and let people get a nice view of what the future looks like in person."
Moving Out Of Blaine
MNUFC will be moving out of its current stadium in Blaine and into a larger venue at TCF Bank Stadium for its inaugural campaign in MLS next spring. Opening the lower bowl to fans, the club is expecting a sellout crowd of about 21,895 passionate fans at every match in 2017. And with 82 percent of the stadium available for less than 30 dollars, there is a surplus of options for season ticket holders new and old.
Kimberly from St. Paul went to stadium tour event looking for something closer to the pitch, but after surveying her options has decided to move up into the stands for a better tactical view of the field.
“We narrowed down price to a few options and now we're just looking,” Kimberly said. “We actually thought closer to the pitch, but we're now liking a little bit higher up."
Stephen from Minneapolis has a different strategy. He and his father have been season ticket holders for the past three years and are looking to be closer to the action at TCF Bank Stadium with seats as close to the field as possible. With the team moving from the suburbs to Minneapolis, Stephen expects to bring friends and tailgate at area pubs before making the trip on gamedays.
"I think it's going to be a lot of fun, we'll get to host tailgating here and be able to just go out and have some drinks beforehand, enjoy it – I think I'll have a lot more friends interested in coming with me, but yeah I'm super excited," said Stephen. "We haven't made a decision yet [about where to sit], I'm buying tickets with my dad, but we're looking at decisions between what's closer – I think we're going to try to be as close to the bench as possible for that experience."
The Itasca Society
More than 9,500 fans have signed up for season tickets at TCF Bank Stadium next year, with double-digit new deposits coming in every day. Minnesota United has also introduced the Itasca Society – an elite club open to the first 11,842 season ticket holders paying homage to every lake in Minnesota. Itasca Society members will receive recognition at the new Midway stadium and access to exclusive Itasca Society merchandise; plus, a portion of all Itasca Society members’ season ticket purchases will benefit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Loon Monitoring Program.
There is limited space remaining in the Itasca Society, but existing season ticket holders like Jennifer from Roseville who have renewed and are finding their seats are already included within the new Itasca Society and will be carrying that membership with them to TCF Bank Stadium and the new stadium in St. Paul.
"We're really looking forward to having an MLS team and the excitement of Major League Soccer and looking forward to [TCF Bank Stadium],” said Jennifer. “The building of the new stadium in St. Paul is going to be really fun and exciting and a good addition to the Twin Cities."
New Views. Same Support.
Growth has been a big part of the Minnesota United legacy, with the supporters groups doubling in size year after year alongside season ticket holder numbers. Next year will be no different. That change is good, according to the Dark Clouds.
"As the Loons begin to play at TCF Bank Stadium that is accessible by light rail in the Twin Cities, we anticipate even more growth in our membership,” said the Dark Clouds in an official club statement. “We eagerly await the added creativity, rambunctiousness and volunteer effort in the community that all the new Dark Clouds will bring when the Loons begin their 2017 season."
The supporters section at TCF Bank Stadium is enough space for 2,000 supporters new and old, and will mean a lot of new faces, but that growth is adding to the excitement of Minnesota’s highly-anticipated debut in Major League Soccer. For fans like Miguel from Richville, MNUFC's move to TCF Bank Stadium will mean less travel time and more stadium time.
"[TCF Bank Stadium] looks very good compared to where we were before, so I'm pretty close to where I'm going to be picking my seat," said Miguel. "The growth of the team is way better now, it used to be far for me but now it's way more convenient because it's closer to the Twin Cities – so I’m very excited, I've been with the team since the beginning and I'm planning on growing with them."
A Premium Experience
With the move to TCF Bank Stadium a new opportunity for premium match tickets has expanded, and joining the MNUFC team is Brittany Christian, who is taking the lead in creating an ideal premium experience for fans at the new venue.
"As an MLS experience it's going to be the first this state has seen, and TCF Bank Stadium is going to give fans a totally new premium experience in watching the world's game," Christian said.
The club is looking forward to the opportunity of taking TCF Bank Stadium and making it its own. From supporters sections, premium seating options close to and on the pitch, and filling the lower bowl with singing fans, the 2017 gameday experience will be like no other professional sports experience in the Twin Cities.
"It's incredibly exciting, there have been quite a few teams that have come in and had great success running their events and their games at TCF Bank Stadium and we're looking forward to continuing that and creating our own culture here as well," said Minnesota United Operations Coordinator Peter Mayer.
Get It On Your Calendar
The seat selection process has officially begun, but there is still space for fans in the Twin Cities who are interested in joining MNUFC next season at TCF Bank Stadium. Season ticket packages start at just 335 dollars and your space can be reserved in the new stadium for just $40. Visit mnunitedtickets.com for details.
On Nov. 17, fans who have selected their seats will be able to visit TCF Bank Stadium and take a photo in their new seat. More details will be released regarding the Meet Your Seat event in the near future, but until then you can place your deposit at any time and choose your seat using our virtual venue tool.
"It's great, obviously with fans choosing their seats it's been really fun and hectic here,” Sittnick said. “We’re excited for everyone to get into their eventual home for the next year and change and moving forward we're excited for the event on Nov. 17 where they actually get to meet their seat and show off what great locations they got. It's making everything more and more concrete, which is great."
