Minneapolis Super Bowl Media Coverage

Above: Super Bowl Game Day Map - Click to view full size

In-depth coverage of the Minneapolis Super Bowl

WEEK OF 1/1/2018

Downtown Minneapolis employers brace for Super Bowl disruptions
With Super Bowl LII just around the corner, the traffic and parking nightmares that come along with hosting the country’s premier sporting event have some downtown Minneapolis employers anxiously eyeing the calendar.

Hennepin County courts getting ready for Super Bowl squeeze
Cases will be shifted to suburban sites if possible during Super Bowl week.

Minnesotans will see Super Bowl LII preparations begin to take shape this week
From the NFL officials in town to the street banners to the big rigs bearing “Birkie” Bridge parts, the signs of Super Bowl LII are spreading.

St. Paul joins Minneapolis, Bloomington in offering later Super Bowl bar hours
St. Paul leaders voted last week to allow bars to sell alcohol until 4 a.m., beyond the usual 2 a.m. closing time, if they get a permit. Minneapolis and Bloomington passed similar measures this fall.

Super Bowl planners ready to help visitors navigate the Minneapolis skyways
Planners for the big event are readying an army of volunteer guides and a specially designed phone navigation app.

The good, the bad and the weird in Minneapolis skyways
Here is a guide from one veteran skywalker of the nearly 9 enclosed miles in downtown Minneapolis.

WEEK OF 12/25/2017

Whoosh: Zipline presale tickets sell out fast, more to come
Super Bowl planners say they've still got some 6,000 tickets available for same-day sales during the Super Bowl Live event beginning the evening of Jan. 26. Those tickets can be purchased at zipline headquarters on the corner of 7th Avenue South and Nicollet Mall. Riders will then hop on a Polaris Ranger for the ride to the zipline starting point on Nicollet Island.

Polar Plunge coming to Super Bowl Live
The Polar Plunge, that long-standing winter tradition of jumping into icy cold waters to raise money for charity, will be held Jan. 30 on Nicollet Mall during Super Bowl Live, the 10-day outdoor extravaganza featuring free live music, food trucks, winter sports demonstrations, live network broadcast and other sponsored activities.

How security will look for the Super Bowl
Forty-one planning groups put together a security plan that will be seen in the sky and in animal form and will take advantage of advanced technology. Then there is the undercover operation.

Birkebeiner Bridge will be part of Super Bowl Live on Nicollet Mall
The bridge will be open to the public and built on Nicollet Mall over 9th Street South during the free event. The bridge will showcase demonstrations of cross-country skiing, skijoring and tubing.

Come Super Bowl weekend, Hyundai fleet will zip through Twin Cities
Four hundred new Hyundai vehicles started arriving in November at Canterbury Park in Shakopee to prepare for the largest sporting event of the year — and the influx of high-rollers it attracts.

Jimmy Fallon tickets for Super Bowl show are gone in a flash
The rest of us will have to catch the show — which after the game itself may've been the next most coveted ticket of Super Bowl weekend — on NBC, after the postgame show, a new episode of “This Is Us,” and the late local news.

WEEK OF 12/18/2017

Zip line to cross Mississippi during Super Bowl
From Jan. 26-Feb. 4, a 100-foot-high, nearly 800-foot-long line will run across the river parallel to the bridge across Hennepin Avenue. The committee is selling tickets to ride the line for $30, plus approximately $6 in taxes and fees.

Zipline over the Mississippi may be one Super Bowl attraction you can afford
No announcements have been made about the price yet, but when Ziptrek Ecotours, the group behind this ride, came to the Super Bowl in 2012 at Indianapolis, rides cost a mere $10. That's 90 percent cheaper than some of the concerts coming to town that week.

Zipline Across the Mississippi Added to Super Bowl Festivities
As part of Super Bowl Live, the 10 days of downtown Minneapolis entertainment leading up to the Feb. 4 game, the Super Bowl Host Committee announced today plans for the Bold North Zipline, which will whisk people, four-at-a-time, across the Mississippi River.

Zipline across the Mississippi River added to Super Bowl festival
In the 10 days leading up to the game Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium, the brave and the daring can show their mettle and embrace winter by flying 100 feet above the Mississippi River on the “Bold North Zipline.”

Report: Ziplines To Fly Super Bowl Visitors Over The Mississippi River
Nothing quite gives visitors a taste of the “Bold North” like a zipline ride 100-feet above the frigid Mississippi River in early February.

You can celebrate the Super Bowl with a frigid zip line ride high over the Mississippi
Fifty-two days before Super Bowl 52, the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee unveiled its plans for a zip line to run across the Mississippi River during the 10-day Super Bowl festival on Thursday.

WEEK OF 12/11/2017

Minneapolis officials ask for National Guard help during Super Bowl
Host Committee will pick up cost; move would free up police for other duties.

Prince tribute, J.Lo among performances set ahead of Super Bowl
Jennifer Lopez will headline a VIP concert series at downtown’s Minneapolis Armory the night before next February’s Super Bowl game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Keeping Super Bowl Fans Connected at U.S. Bank Stadium
What's a Super Bowl without a selfie to prove you were there?

612Brew, Vikings’ Kyle Rudolph to release beer for Super Bowl
A Northeast Minneapolis brewery is celebrating the Super Bowl a way only a brewery could: by brewing a limited-edition beer.

Oft-burned Vikings fans temper joy to avoid Super Bowl jinx
Vikings fans whisper "Skol!" trying not to tempt their Super Bowl karma.

WEEK OF 12/04/2017

Super Bowl LII: The 'Super' extends well beyond the game in Minnesota
A host of activities will reap lasting benefits and showcase Minnesota to the world.

Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis will announce first acts for Super Bowl Live festival
Jimmy “Jam” Harris and Terry Lewis will make it to Nicollet Mall after all Friday to reveal the first musical acts for Super Bowl Live.

A 'very Minnesota' Super Bowl Live lineup announced for free concerts on Nicollet Mall
Music marathon to cast spotlight on dynamic Minnesota music scene.

Super Bowl LII weather gets into the national tax discussion
On the CBS Sunday morning political talk show, Face the Nation, the weather got linked to the GOP tax bill passed by the Senate early Saturday.

St. Paul slides into Super Bowl party mode with giant snowslide, winter market
A 40-foot snowslide at CHS Field and a night market are among the activities planned.

Transit union authorizes Super Bowl strike
The threat of a Super Bowl strike by Metro Transit workers looms over ongoing contract negotiations between the Metropolitan Council and the union representing roughly 2,500 transit service employees.

WEEK OF 11/27/2017

Tickets to Super Bowl media night event sell out in less than an hour
Next up: Passes to the Super Bowl Experience go on sale Dec. 5.

U.S. Bank Stadium rail stop won't be an option in 48 hours before Super Bowl
Beginning late Feb. 2, a Friday, trains won’t stop at the U.S. Bank Stadium plaza because of tightening security for the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Young Minnesota chefs picked to prepare Super Bowl treats next week in Snack Challenge
Celebrity chefs will judge the youngsters, with the winner announced during Super Bowl week.

A day in the life of a serial Super Bowl planner
Event wunderkind Kyle Chank has his hands full with complicated logistics.

WEEK OF 11/20/2017

Is Minneapolis (And Mayor-Elect Frey) Ready For The Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl is just two-and-a-half months away and the question remains: Is Minneapolis ready?

Some Minneapolis homeless will move to temporary shelter for Super Bowl week
Current shelter at First Covenant Church is inside the security perimeter.

Super Bowl Host Committee Unveils 'Know Before You Go' Logistics Info
With 83 days until Super Bowl LII, the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee (MNSBHC) and community stakeholders announced the “Know Before You Go” Initiative on Monday.

Super Bowl Stakeholders Unveil Transportation Guide for 10-Day Festival
The Super Bowl Host Committee and Minneapolis stakeholders outlined a transportation plan for the 10-day period of festivities leading up to the Feb. 4 game and presented it to the public Monday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Metro officials release road closure, transit plans for Super Bowl
Streets around U.S. Bank Stadium will begin closing in early January ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl LII, with additional closures on game day weekend.

Officials talk Super Bowl transportation
Street closures, increased public transit options and longer skyway hours are in the works for the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, officials said Monday.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Minneapolis light rail lines off-limits to non-ticket holders
Super Bowl LII (aka Super Bowl 52: Beyond Metrodome) already has its first controversy.

Where to park downtown during Super Bowl week? Commuters should plan now
Downtown Minneapolis has more than 65,000 parking spots, normally enough to accommodate most of the workers who drive to their job.

Super Bowl will limit light-rail use to ticket holders on game day
Only ticket holders can board on game day; all others must ride buses.

General public won’t be allowed to ride parts of light rail system on Super Bowl Sunday
Light-rail service along the Metro Transit Blue Line and a section of the Green Line will serve only Super Bowl LII ticket holders on Feb. 4.

Met Council member questions exclusive LRT use by Super Bowl ticket holders
Met Council's Gary Cunningham says "game-day pass" idea not properly vetted.

Super Bowl officials push transit, hubs, parking apps in planning for the week
The takeaway : Use mass transit when possible.

Metro Transit will give free rides for passengers using buses replacing LRT service during Super Bowl
Metro Transit on Wednesday said it will offer free rides for Blue and Green Line passengers who will be put on replacement buses on Super Bowl Sunday as portions of both light-rail lines will be restricted exclusively for fans heading to the game.

Purple army deploys as 10,000 Super Bowl volunteers gather for pep rally
Most of the 10,000 volunteers for Super Bowl LII joyfully raised their thundersticks and new “Bold North” purple mittens at a pep rally-orientation Sunday for the first collective jolt of excitement they’re expected to provide to visitors during the 10-day event.

Activists promise week of 'resistance' in Twin Cities during Super Bowl
In what could be the first showdown with city officials leading up to the Super Bowl, a dozen community activists gathered outside Minneapolis City Hall on Friday to demand action on police violence and other concerns they believe are being “swept under the rug” during the buildup to the game.

Caribou Coffee roasts "Bold North Blend" for Minnesota Super Bowl
Caribou Coffee revealed its "Bold North" blend Thursday that will be served to 10,000 frigid volunteers, and sold in the company's Minnesota stores, leading up to the Super Bowl in February.

WEEK OF 11/13/2017

For Super Bowl, Minneapolis can expect rooftop snipers, restricted access and lots of security
Planners have been going building by building around the stadium figuring out security logistics.

Minneapolis Super Bowl Host Committee raises $50 million, plans street closures
Meanwhile, it released detailed plans on street closings downtown, beginning two weeks before the game.

Purple army deploys as 10,000 Super Bowl volunteers gather for pep rally
Most of the 10,000 volunteers for Super Bowl LII joyfully raised their thundersticks and new “Bold North” purple mittens at a pep rally-orientation Sunday for the first collective jolt of excitement they’re expected to provide to visitors during the 10-day event.

Randy Moss meets Mary Tyler Moore as ESPN chooses IDS Crystal Court for Super Bowl week set
ESPN will broadcast from inside the skyscraper beginning on Wednesday before the game.