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Tim Nelson
St. Paul, Minn.

For opening day, make your parking or light-rail plans early

A Minnesota Vikings fan
Unprecedented crowds are expected for Sunday's Vikings game at TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota. Fans are encouraged to make transportation plans ahead of time.
Hannah Foslien / Getty Images 2012

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When the Minnesota Vikings kick off their regular season home opener Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium, the game likely will attract unprecedented crowds to the area.

With that in mind, Vikings officials are encouraging fans to make their parking or transit plans ahead of time.

The Vikings play the New England Patriots starting at noon at the University of Minnesota campus football stadium. To help ease traffic congestion, the team has arranged to open the Minnesota State Fair parking lots to tailgaters before the game, and offer free shuttles to the East Bank campus. The stadium is also served by a Green Line light rail station.

Although the Vikings have already played two pre-season home games at the stadium, regular season games typically draw bigger crowds and more activity.

Jeff Anderson, the team's director of communications, said fans are encouraged to consider parking and pre-game tailgating in Falcon Heights, on the Minnesota State Fair grounds.

"Obviously those spaces were unavailable during the preseason as we went through the 2014 Minnesota State Fair," Anderson said. "But now we've added approximately 1,500 tailgating spaces on the fairgrounds [so they will], be available during the regular season. It's a great option for fans."

Fans who plan to take light rail trains to the stadium also should think ahead and consider purchasing a six-hour event pass on the MetroTransit website, Anderson said.

"That'll prevent them from having to get in the ticketing line before the game, after the game and hopefully [reduce] the waiting time as they're getting on these light rail trains," he said.