Did the Minnesota Vikings play their first-ever game in Sioux Falls?

The Minnesota Vikings played their first-ever game as a professional football team at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls on Aug. 5, 1961.

About 5,000 fans saw the Dallas Cowboys beat the Vikings 38-13 in an exhibition game, which also featured the debut of future Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton.

Local coaching legend Bob Burns played a crucial role in bringing the team to Sioux Falls. At a chance encounter at a Minneapolis bar, Burns overheard a conversation involving the Vikings president discussing a preseason game in Fargo-Moorhead. Burns then advocated for Sioux Falls. Burns was told it would require $40,000, and he secured it from Sioux Falls contributors. 

Grandstand seats cost $5.50 (roughly $60 today), but attendance was lower than expected – organizers lost $10,000.

To commemorate the game, two Sioux Falls men are trying to get a plaque placed near Howard Wood Field.