Three years ago, the Minnesota Vikings abandoned one of the NFL's most established home-field advantages. They moved out of the Metrodome, a compact structure that facilitated acoustic mayhem on game days, and built a cavernous replacement that is nearly twice as large but with the same fan capacity.
So as the Vikings inaugurate U.S. Bank Stadium with a preseason game Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, a major issue lingers: Can it possibly provide the same competitive advantage as the Metrodome?