Blakeslee Stadium

Blakeslee Stadium
"The Blake"
Blakeslee Stadium image
Blakeslee Stadium
Blakeslee Stadium is located in Minnesota
Blakeslee Stadium
Blakeslee Stadium
Location in Minnesota
Blakeslee Stadium is located in the United States
Blakeslee Stadium
Blakeslee Stadium
Location in the United States
Location161 Stadium Road
Mankato, Minnesota 56001
Coordinates44°08′38″N 93°59′42″W / 44.144°N 93.995°W / 44.144; -93.995
OwnerMinnesota State University, Mankato
OperatorMinnesota State University, Mankato
Capacity7,500
Record attendance7,187
(October 10, 2015 vs. Augustana)[1]
10,000 at Vikings Training Camp
SurfaceNatural Grass
Construction
Broke ground1961
Opened1962
Construction cost$80,000[2]
($805,809 in 2023 dollars[3])
Headshot of Coach Blakeslee
Coach Blakeslee, Circa 1980

Blakeslee Stadium is located on the southern edge of the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the Minnesota State Mavericks—an NCAA Division II football team—and hosted the training camp for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) from 1966 to 2017.[4] Built in 1962, the stadium holds 7,000 seats and facilitates a variety of events, including marching band performances and drum and bugle corps competitions.[5] In 2022, they hosted Hockey Day Minnesota, an annual series of outdoor hockey games sponsored by the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) and FanDuel Sports Network North.[6]

It is named after Carlyn P. Blakeslee, who served as a coach, administrator, and Health and Physical Education professor at Minnesota State from 1921 until his retirement in 1961.[7]

  1. ^ "Minnesota State Football Recordbook 2016" (PDF). June 1, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  2. ^ "MSU Buildings Management". March 15, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  3. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "Blakeslee Stadium – Campus Tour – Minnesota State University, Mankato". Mnsu.edu. October 22, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  5. ^ "Minnesota State Mavericks - Blakeslee Stadium". Msumavericks.com. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  6. ^ "Hockey Day Minnesota". Minnesota Wild. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  7. ^ "Minnesota State Mavericks - Hall of Fame". Msumavericks.com. Retrieved November 18, 2015.