The Vikings will unveil U.S. Bank Stadium to a nationally televised audience on Sept. 18 when they host the rival Green Bay Packers in primetime.
Their 2016 home opener, which will be televised on NBC, kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
Last season, the Vikings went 11-5 and won their first NFC North title since 2009. They dethroned the four-time reigning division champion Packers by beating them 20-13 at Lambeau Field in the season finale. By doing so, they earned a home playoff game at TCF Bank Stadium, their temporary home in 2014 and 2015, but lost to the Seattle Seahawks 10-9.
The home opener is one of five scheduled national games for the Vikings in 2016. That includes four games in primetime, three of them in Minneapolis.
The Vikings will play their first game, albeit a preseason one, at their new place on Aug. 28 against the San Diego Chargers and close the preseason there against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 1. U.S. Bank Stadium will also host two major concerts and an international soccer match in August.
The Vikings will open the regular season on the road in part because the NFL wanted to give the team time to account for any potential construction delays or resolve any issues that occur during those preseason games and events, though the Vikings in February declared the project 90 percent complete.
The construction of U.S. Bank Stadium started shortly after the demolition of the Metrodome began in January 2014. Taxpayers in Minnesota covered $498 million of the $1.1 billion cost. The Vikings are paying the remainder.
