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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6]

Blakeslee Stadium

"The Blake"
Blakeslee Stadium
Blakeslee Stadium Location in Minnesota Show map of Minnesota Blakeslee Stadium Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	161 Stadium Road Mankato, Minnesota 56001
Coordinates	44.144°N 93.995°W / 44.144; -93.995
Owner	Minnesota State University, Mankato
Operator	Minnesota State University, Mankato
Capacity	7,500
Record attendance	7,187 (October 10, 2015 vs. Augustana)[1] 10,000 at Vikings Training Camp
Surface	Natural Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1961
Opened	1962
Construction cost	$80,000[2] ($805,809 in 2023 dollars[3])

Mankato

Location in Minnesota

Coach Blakeslee, Circa 1980

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.^[7]

Renovation and replacement plans

Plans for replacing the more than 55-year-old structure have been discussed by Minnesota State University.^[8][9]

Blakeslee Stadium is located in the south of campus and is the home field of the Minnesota State Mavericks Division 2 Football team.

References

1. "Minnesota State Football Recordbook 2016" (PDF). June 1, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
2. "MSU Buildings Management". March 15, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
3. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
4. "Blakeslee Stadium – Campus Tour – Minnesota State University, Mankato". Mnsu.edu. October 22, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
5. "Minnesota State Mavericks - Blakeslee Stadium". Msumavericks.com. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
6. "Hockey Day Minnesota". Minnesota Wild. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
7. "Minnesota State Mavericks - Hall of Fame". Msumavericks.com. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
8. Courrier, Chad (September 4, 2015). "Courrier: Time for Blakeslee Stadium to get some love - Mankato Free Press: Columns". Mankato Free Press. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
9. MSU-Mankato Athletics Master Plan (PDF). MSU-Mankato Athletics. January 20, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2015.