National Sports Center

Blaine, Minnesota

The National Sports Center opened in 1990 and is the flagship facility of the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. The campus was built by the State of Minnesota as part of a statewide building program to improve Minnesota’s amateur sports facilities.

 

The complex is a 600-acre multi-sport facility located in Blaine, Minnesota. The campus includes the Schwan Super Rink, an eight-sheet ice arena that is the world’s largest ice facility; a 8,500-seat stadium; the Schwan Center meeting and events building; a multi-faceted family golf center; the National Youth Golf Center, which features the 18-hole Victory Links course; an indoor Sports Hall with a FieldTurf field; 250-meter all wood cycling velodrome, 150-bed residence hall and 52 athletic fields. The facility hosts nearly 300 events and nearly four million visitors annually, and has welcomed over 36 million visitors since its opening in 1990. The NSC generates over $37 million in annual out-of-state economic impact.

 

The NSC Stadium underwent a reconfiguration in 2008 that made it a field sport-only venue. The track in front of the main stands was removed and the field was moved closer to the stands, making for an intimate setting with fantastic sight lines good for soccer, lacrosse, football, rubgy, ultimate and even concerts.

 

Even though most of the facility development and land purchases were made with State of Minnesota funding, the facility is operated by a non-profit corporation, the National Sports Center Foundation (NSCF). The NSCF operates the facility on a self-supporting basis. State funds were used to build the facility, but no operating subsidy is provided. The original state investment was $14.7 million, and to date the State has invested just over $27 million in the NSC campus. Since 2000 however, the NSC Foundation has financed the majority of an ambitious construction phase through private investment. About 2/3 of the new National Youth Golf Center was financed privately, as was 100% of the construction of four new sheets of ice at the Schwan Super Rink, and a portion of the development of the Schwan Center meeting and events facility. The current value of facilities and land at the National Sports Center stands at about $50 million.

 

The Schwan Super Rink was funded by a cooperative of eleven local governmental partners along with the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC). The partners include the cities of Arden Hills, Blaine, Centerville, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Lino Lakes, Mounds View, New Brighton, Shoreview, as well as Ramsey and Anoka Counties. Total construction cost was $11 million. The $10 million Super Rink expansion was also built with non-state money. Partners include Centennial, Blaine and Tri-City Youth Hockey Associations, the Herb Brooks Foundation and Bethel University, all of which made an initial investment and then pay off the construction bonds through the sales of ice time.

 

The Schwan Super Rink is the home of the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team. The team has its own locker room adjacent to their home practice rink on rink 6 of the Schwan Super Rink. The National Team trained at the NSC for two years leading up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, where they won the silver medal.

Since opening its doors, the NSC has hosted over 30 million visitors. In 2010, 3.8 million people visited the campus, making it Minnesota's most visited sports facility – a bit more than Target Field, and considerably more than the Metrodome, Target Center or Xcel Energy Center.

The NSC has a dual mission

• »  To generate out-of-state economic impact through amateur sports events and programs. In an independent study of the NSC by the State of Minnesota Office of Analysis and Evaluation, the NSC produces over $38 million of out-of-state economic impact annually. Out-of-state visitors generate $2.3 million of taxes to the state annually, and $800,000 in annual local taxes.
• »  To provide amateur sports opportunities to Minnesota residents. Even though the NSC has produced impressive out-of-state economic impact, the fact remains that the bulk of visitors are Minnesota residents – 92 percent, in fact. These are families and athletes who play in leagues and tournaments, attend events as spectators, buy tickets to non-sport events and play on the golf course. On an average day there are 12 different programs and events taking place at the NSC, and most service the local community.

 

The major theme that permeates the programming at the NSC is diversity – diversity in sport offerings, ages of participants, income levels and visitorship from around the world. The NSC is a priceless, innovative and unique state asset.

State Investment

• »  $14.7 million (1987)
• »  $400,000 (1992)
• »  $119,000 (1994)
• »  $1.7 million (1998)
• »  $3.1 million (1998)
• »  $300,000 (1999)
• »  $5 million (2002)
• »  $1 million (2009)
• »  $950,000 (2010)
• Total: $27.269 million

Current Financial Operation

Self-supporting non-profit organization

Facility Specifications

• »  602 acres
• »  52 soccer fields
• »  8,500 seat outdoor stadium
• »  250 meter cycling velodrome
• »  58,000 square foot indoor sports hall
• »  Cafeteria and Residence Hall
• »  Schwan Super Rink, 8-sheet ice arena
• »  National Youth Golf Center, including Victory Links 18-hole course, Tournament Greens putting course, clubhouse and driving range

Sports and Activities Served

• »  Baseball
• »  Broomball
• »  Consumer shows
• »  Cycling
• »  Figure skating
• »  Fitness activities
• »  Golf
• »  Ice hockey
• »  Lacrosse
• »  Martial arts
• »  Meetings and conventions
• »  Public ice skating
• »  Road races
• »  Rugby
• »  Soccer
• »  Speedskating
• »  Track and field
• »  Ultimate disc

For More Information

National Sports Center

1700 - 105th Ave NE

Blaine, MN 55449

(p) 763.785.5600

(f) 763.785.5699

email: webmaster@nscsports.org

website: www.nscsports.org