Minnesota Vikings to Have London Home Game in 2013 and 2014

Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the Minnesota Vikings are in pole position to host the International Series games at Wembley stadium in both 2013 and 2014.

The St. Louis Rams had an agreement in place to be the host team for several years, but their contact has been torn up, thus leaving the Vikings as the front-runner for the gig.

Lester Bagley, the Vice President of public affairs and stadium development, said:

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“We’ve expressed an interest, and there’s a process the league is following,” Lester Bagley, the Vikings’ vice president of public affairs and stadium development said. “We’ll see how it shakes out.”

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Murphy reports the Vikings are talking to the University of Minnesota about relocating some of their home games from TCF Bank Stadium to London.

The Vikings also appear to be the NFL's ideal candidate, largely because they have a flexible lease and aren't doing too well in the stadium revenue sweepstakes.

The NFL will announce the arrangements of the NFL London game soon and there shouldn't be an issue with the University of Minnesota, according to Murphy:

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"We're prepared to be flexible, depending on how many games they need, when they're going to start and when they're going to stop (using TCF Bank Stadium)," said Mark Rotenberg, University of Minnesota general counsel.

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Some fans of the team may not be happy to see their team go abroad for a game but it provides a great opportunity to expand their brand.

The Vikings have a decent following in the U.K., and I'm sure they will get plenty of support from a foreign crowd.

Oh, and if the die-hard fans have enough cash to fly to London, they can have a holiday and see their beloved Vikes at the same time.