The Vikings Won’t Be Playing Any Preseason Games in 2020
Thanks to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, you'll have four fewer chances to see the Minnesota Vikings this season.
The NFL preseason has been the subject of debate for several years now, but those conversations are officially on hold for this year because the Vikings announced yesterday they won't be playing ANY preseason games this year.
They're not alone, of course, as NO team will be playing in the preseason this year, as the NFL announced yesterday it's canceling all four games across the league for 2020. The Vikings officially announced the news on their site late Monday, saying:
In order to minimize the risk of travel and ensure the 2020 regular season begins in a timely manner, the NFL has determined that no preseason games will be played this year. Vikings Season Ticket Members will receive the option of a full refund for the two home preseason games or a credit applied toward 2021 season tickets.
That follows earlier discussions about limiting the preseason to just a few games, but now even that's on the scrap heap. Though, as I said, there's been significant discussion in previous years about reducing the number of preseason games. The main reasoning is that during most of those four preseason games, you don't get to see real NFL-quality games anyway, as most teams are auditioning players we don't know for those coveted roster spots. (And during the fourth preseason game, many teams only play their starters for the first series, then sit them so they're not injured heading into the regular season.)
Of course, NFL team owners still charge a premium amount for preseason tickets, even with the criticism that the product on the field is, shall we say, less-than-a-high level during those games. Well, leave it to the coronavirus pandemic to even get those billionaire owners to change their tune!
As it stands now, the Vikings are set to kick-off their 2020 season on Sunday, September 13th, hosting their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers, at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Of course, that assumes the 2020 NFL season isn't canceled entirely.)
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