Blakeslee Stadium
Blakeslee Stadium is a stadium located on the southern edge of the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus in Mankato, Minnesota. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the Minnesota State Mavericks, an NCAA Division II football team, and also hosted the training camp for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) from 1966 to 2017. Built in 1962, the stadium holds 7,500 people has hosted a variety of events, including marching band performances and drum and bugle corps competitions. In 2022, the stadium hosted Hockey Day Minnesota, an annual series of outdoor hockey games sponsored by the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Bally Sports North.
"The Blake" | |
Blakeslee Stadium | |
Blakeslee Stadium Location in Minnesota Blakeslee Stadium Location in the United States | |
| Location | 161 Stadium Road Mankato, Minnesota 56001 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44.144°N 93.995°W |
| Owner | Minnesota State University, Mankato |
| Operator | Minnesota State University, Mankato |
| Capacity | 7,500 |
| Record attendance | 7,187 (October 10, 2015 vs. Augustana) 10,000 at Vikings Training Camp |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1961 |
| Opened | 1962 |
| Construction cost | $80,000 ($805,809 in 2023 dollars) |
The stadium is named after C. P. Blakeslee, who served as a coach, administrator, and professor in health and physical education at Minnesota State from 1921 until his retirement in 1961.