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Minnesota Vikings

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Color image of the helmet worn by Minnesota Vikings safety Paul Krause in the late 1970s.

Helmet worn by Minnesota Vikings safety Paul Krause in the late 1970s.

The Minnesota Vikings professional football club has competed in the National Football League (NFL) since 1961. The team ranks amongst the most successful franchises in the NFL, with seventeen divisional titles since 1970. They have reached the playoffs in twenty-nine of their fifty-seven seasons and made four Super Bowl appearances. Eleven former players, one coach, and one general manager from the Vikings have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio.

Minnesota became the fourteenth franchise added to the National Football League on January 28, 1960, at the NFL owners’ meeting in Miami, Florida. On September 27, it was announced that the team would be called the Minnesota Vikings in recognition of the Nordic traditions of the Northern U.S. The team's official colors are the now-iconic purple and gold.

The Vikings played their first regular-season home game at Metropolitan Stadium on September 17, 1961. Rookie quarterback Fran "The Scrambler" Tarkenton led the team to a 37-13 victory over the Chicago Bears. The team finished its first season with just three wins and eleven losses. By the end of the decade, however, the Vikings emerged as one of best teams in the NFL.

The Vikings' fortunes began to change in 1967 when Bud Grant, a former Golden Gopher standout athlete and four-time Canadian Football League Grey Cup winner, became the franchise’s second head coach. Coach Grant, with general manager and fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Finks, built winning teams in the late 1960s and 1970s that featured strong defensive play. The legendary “Purple People Eaters” defensive line and quarterback Fran Tarkenton anchored the team.

The Vikings earned their first divisional title and playoff appearance in 1968. The team finished the following season with an NFL-best record of twelve wins and two losses. They won the 1970 NFL Championship 27–7 over the Cleveland Browns on January 4 at Metropolitan Stadium. This victory led to the first Super Bowl appearance for the Vikings. In 1971, defensive tackle Alan Page, the leader of the “Purple People Eaters," became the first defensive player in NFL history to be awarded the league’s Most Valuable Player trophy.

By the 1979–1980 season, the Vikings had clinched eleven divisional titles along with the four Super Bowl appearances: 1970, 1974, 1975, and 1977. Five players from the 1970s teams would eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 1982, the Vikings moved into their new home stadium at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. In 1988, the team made its fifth appearance in an NFC championship game. In 1989, star running back Herschel Walker was acquired by trade, and the Vikings won their twelfth divisional title.

The Vikings earned their thirteenth and fourteenth divisional titles in 1992 and 1994 under the leadership of the team’s fifth head coach, Dennis Green. In the 1998 season, the Vikings offense led the way to a franchise record of fifteen wins while setting an NFL scoring record of 556 regular season points—a record that held until 2007.

The offense was led by quarterback Randall Cunningham and featured Hall of Famers Chris Carter (wide receiver), Randall McDaniel (guard), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Randy Moss, South African-born place kicker Gary Anderson, and running back Robert Smith. On the defensive side, Hall of Famer John Randle (defensive tackle) helped the Vikings reach their sixth NFC Championship game, in which they suffered a 30–27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at the Metrodome.

The Vikings have continued to enjoy success in the twenty-first century. They played in six playoff series and appeared in NFC Championship games in 2000 and 2009, led by quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper and Brett Favre. The Vikings played their last game at the Metrodome on December 29, 2013. They played the next two seasons at TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota before moving to US Bank Stadium. The Vikings won the inaugural game at the new stadium on September 18, 2016, finishing with a score of 17-14 over the rival Green Bay Packers.

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© Minnesota Historical Society
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2016 NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL Superbowl Teams Records.
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/records/superbowls/team/games

2016 NFL Enterprises, LLC. NFL Super Bowl Records: Playoffs Teams.
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/records/playoffs/team/games

Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC. Minnesota Vikings Team History.
http://www.vikings.com/team/old/history.html

Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC. Minnesota Vikings Team History: Coaching Staffs.
http://www.vikings.com/team/history/coaching-staffs.html

Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC. Minnesota Vikings Team History: Hall of Famers.
http://www.vikings.com/team/history/hall-of-famers.html

Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC. US Bank Stadium: Timeline.
http://www.usbankstadium.com/about-the-stadium/timeline/

Pro Football Hall of Fame. Minnesota Vikings: Team History.
http://www.profootballhof.com/teams/minnesota-vikings/team-history/

Pro Football Reference. Pro Football Reference: Minnesota Vikings.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/min/

Related Images

Color image of the helmet worn by Minnesota Vikings safety Paul Krause in the late 1970s.
Color image of the helmet worn by Minnesota Vikings safety Paul Krause in the late 1970s.
Black and white photograph of the Minnesota Vikings team, 1963.
Black and white photograph of the Minnesota Vikings team, 1963.
Color image of a circular pin-back button supporting the Minnesota Vikings professional football team in Super Bowl VIII, 1974.
Color image of a circular pin-back button supporting the Minnesota Vikings professional football team in Super Bowl VIII, 1974.
Black and white photograph of Fran Tarkenton (#10) quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, ca. 1975.
Black and white photograph of Fran Tarkenton (#10) quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, ca. 1975.
Black and white photograph of Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant, ca. 1975.
Black and white photograph of Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant, ca. 1975.
Color image of Alan Page (#88) of the Minnesota Vikings, ca. 1975.
Color image of Alan Page (#88) of the Minnesota Vikings, ca. 1975.
Color image of the Minnesota Vikings game ball presented to Hubert Humphrey, 1976.
Color image of the Minnesota Vikings game ball presented to Hubert Humphrey, 1976.
Color image of a plastic pin-back button commemorating the participation of the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI, played against the Oakland Raiders in Pasadena, California, 1977. The Raiders defeated the Vikings 32–14.
Color image of a plastic pin-back button commemorating the participation of the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI, played against the Oakland Raiders in Pasadena, California, 1977. The Raiders defeated the Vikings 32–14.
Paper ticket to football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs, 1981.
Paper ticket to football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs, 1981.
Color image of a felt pennant celebrating "Bud Grant Day", September 2, 1984.
Color image of a felt pennant celebrating "Bud Grant Day", September 2, 1984.
Color image of a Minnesota Vikings Headband, 1986.
Color image of a Minnesota Vikings Headband, 1986.
Color image of Minnesota Vikings Zubaz pants, 1990.
Color image of Minnesota Vikings Zubaz pants, 1990.
Color image of Minnesota Vikings crime prevention trading card of head coach Dennis Green, 1992.
Color image of Minnesota Vikings crime prevention trading card of head coach Dennis Green, 1992.
Color image of the home jersey worn by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter in 1995.
Color image of the home jersey worn by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter in 1995.
Color image of Randy Moss's Magic Crunch cereal box, 1999.
Color image of Randy Moss's Magic Crunch cereal box, 1999.
Color image of a Felt Minnesota Vikings pennant commemorating the team's final season at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, distributed at the final football game at the Dome on December 29, 2013.
Color image of a Felt Minnesota Vikings pennant commemorating the team's final season at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, distributed at the final football game at the Dome on December 29, 2013.
Color image of a pair of Metrodome row seats, in use from 1982–2013.
Color image of a pair of Metrodome row seats, in use from 1982–2013.

Turning Point

In 1960, investors pushing to bring a professional football team to Minnesota forfeit their American Football League membership to join the National Football League as an expansion team. The team is named the Minnesota Vikings for the 1961 season.

Chronology

1960

On January 28, Minnesota is granted a franchise tag for the 1961 National Football League season at the NFL owners meeting in Miami, Florida.

1960

The team officially announces its new name, the Minnesota Vikings, on September 27.

1961

The first Vikings game in franchise history is played on August 5 as a preseason exhibition game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, against the Dallas Cowboys. The Vikings lose 38–13.

1961

The first regular-season home game in franchise history is played on September 17 at Metropolitan Stadium. Rookie quarterback Frank Tarkenton leads the Vikings to a 37–13 victory over the Chicago Bears.

1967

On March 10, Bud Grant is named the second head coach in Vikings history after leading the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to four Grey Cup Championships in the Canadian Football League.

1970

On January 11, the Vikings play in their first Super Bowl after claiming their second division title in 1969 and finishing with a NFL-best record of twelve wins and two losses. They lose to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23–7, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.

1974

The Vikings earn a trip to Super Bowl VII, where they lose to the Miami Dolphins on January 13 at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas, by a score of 24–7.

1975

In their third Super Bowl (IX) trip, the Vikings lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 16–6 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans on January 12.

1977

On January 9, in their third Super Bowl (XI) in four years, the Vikings lose to the Oakland Raiders at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, by a score of 32–14.

1982

On August 21, The Vikings win their first game in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome with a preseason victory over the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 7–3.

1986

On August 2, Fran “The Scrambler” Tarkenton becomes the first player from Minnesota to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1999

In the first NFC Championship game to be played at the Metrodome, the Vikings lose to the Atlanta Falcons by a final score of 30–27 on January 17.

2010

The Vikings, led by quarterback Brett Favre, lose their eighth NFC Championship game to the New Orleans Saints in the Louisiana Superdome on January 24 by a final overtime score of 31–28.

2014

While construction is underway on their new US Bank Stadium, the Vikings play a preseason game on August 8 against the Oakland Raiders at TCF Bank stadium on the University of Minnesota Campus.

2016

On September 18, the Vikings defeat their divisional rivals, the Green Bay Packers, by a final score of 17–14 in the inaugural home game in US Bank Stadium.