Jon Ekstrom/Minnesota Vikings
Key findings
- Economic activity: In 2019, Vikings Verizon training camp attendees generated an estimated $5.7 million of economic activity in Eagan, Minnesota.
- On average, each visitor spent $49.90 to attend the camp.
- Major expenditures included shopping, food and beverage, and transportation.
- Change from prior year: Economic contribution increased from an estimated $4.9 million in 2018 to $5.7 million in 2019.
- This increase was largely due to a $6.40 increase in per person spending (from $43.50 to $49.90).
- The largest increases in per person spending were in transportation, shopping, and food and beverage.
- Attendees: The majority (86 percent) of Vikings Verizon training camp attendees were from Minnesota.
- The 14 percent not from Minnesota came from 35 other U.S. states and Canada.
- Of Minnesotans, the largest group of training camp attendees were from cities in the seven-county Twin Cities Metro (59 percent, not including Eagan).
- Approximately one-quarter of attendees came from Greater Minnesota.
About this report
Every summer, Vikings fans flood the city of Eagan, Minnesota to watch their favorite players participate in the team’s Verizon training camp. Training camp allows fans to watch the team perform before the upcoming season. In 2019, the camp ran from July 26 to August 16, with an estimated attendance of 57,700 fans. Training camp is held at the Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center.
Fans visiting Eagan to attend training camp generate economic activity in the city. They eat in restaurants, shop in stores and enjoy local recreational activities. To measure the economic value of Vikings training camp fans, the Eagan Convention and Visitors Bureau (Eagan CVB) contracted with Extension to conduct an economic contribution analysis of the 2019 camp.
Reviewed in 2020