The Minnesota Vikings may be based out of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, but their first game ever as a franchise took place in Sioux Falls at Howard Wood Field in 1961. Yes, that’s correct, in their first preseason game of their first season, the Minnesota Vikings played in South Dakota.
Max Winter and a group of businessmen in Minneapolis were awarded an NFL expansion team in 1960, and in September of that year, the Minnesota Vikings were born. The Minnesota Vikings held its inaugural season the following year in 1961. While their home games during the regular season would be played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, which is now the same location as the Mall of America, longtime South Dakota high school football coach Bob Burns made a push for the Vikings to come to Sioux Falls for their first preseason game that year.
In a 2014 article by Stu Whitney of The Argus Leader, he mentioned that Bob Burns reached out to Max Winter’s camp about hosting the Vikings first ever exhibition game. Burns was a Sioux City guy, who went to the University of South Dakota for college. He would go on to coach high school football in South Dakota for Yankton, Sioux Falls Washington, and O’Gorman.
"I got mad because they didn't think we were big enough to handle it. I asked them, `How much money would we need to get the game?' When they told me $40,000, I said, `I'll call you tonight.' They thought I was crazy."
After a few hours, Burns called back Winter saying that he had the money.
"I had all the gamblers in town involved, along with car dealers and anybody else with money," Burns said. "To this day, they complain they didn't get anything back. But I called up to Minneapolis that night and said, `I've got your money in the First National Bank,' and Winter and those guys couldn't believe it. I said, `Do you believe me now? Let's stop talking and get ready to go.' "
The $40,000 that Bob Burns raised to get the Vikings to Sioux Falls is equivalent to slightly more than $350,000 today.
Neil Graff, 11-years old at the time, was one of the roughly 5,000 fans who attended that game. Graff would go on to graduate from Sioux Falls Lincoln, play quarterback at the University of Wisconsin, and have a career in the National Football League himself.
“I'd be reasonably sure in saying the population of Sioux Falls was under 100,000 at that time,” explained Graff. “So we were still a relatively small community, and the ability to have that exposure of hosting the Vikings at that time was a real milestone. I mean, that was quite an accomplishment for Sioux Falls.”
Not only did Graff witness rookie sensation and future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton’s first ever game as a pro, but years later he was on the same team with him – as ‘Scramblin' Fran’s’ backup.
“I think you could say I was kind of starstruck that night out at Howard Wood Field. Just the fact that it was a football game and the fact that Tarkenton really stood out, both of those made big impressions on me,” said Graff.
South Dakota also has a connection with the Minnesota Vikings first ever coach, ‘The Dutchman,’ Norm Van Brocklin. He was born in Parade, South Dakota in 1926. Van Brocklin, who coached the Vikings through 1966, was relieved by hall of fame coach Bud Grant.
The Dallas Cowboys won the exhibition game in Sioux Falls 38-13 on August 5, 1961. And while this is just a mark on history, it’s one that continues to leave its mark in the Sioux Empire and South Dakota to this day.
