Sports and Recreation

Arenas and Minnesota Sports Governing Authorities

Arenas and Stadiums

Minnesota

• National Sports Center - Minnesota's largest sports complex.
• Target Center - Home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Lynx basketball teams.
• Target Field - Home of the Minnesota Twins baseball team.
• TCF Bank Stadium-University of Minnesota - Information on the college football stadium.
• Vikings Stadium - Information about the stadium under construction for the the Minnesota Vikings football team.
• Xcel Energy Center - Home of the Minnesota Wild hockey team.

National

• Ballparks - Click on the corresponding images to find information on facilities for professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey, car racing, and soccer.
• Ballparks of Baseball - Information including current attendance figures and building costs for past, present, and future Major League Baseball ballparks.
• Field of Schemes - An anti-stadium site based on the book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money Into Private Profit. Among other things, it includes links to stadium news coverage, activist groups, and economic studies.

Minnesota Stadium Guides - Compiled by the staff of the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

• Baseball Stadiums
• Basketball in Minnesota and the Target Center Areana
• Financing Professional Sports Facilities
• Football Stadiums in Minnesota and the Vikings
• Mighty Ducks Program
• Professional Hockey in Minnesota

Minnesota Sports Governing Authorities

• Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (MSFC) - Oversees operation of the U.S. Bank Stadium, home to the Minnesota Vikings football team.
• Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC) - Created to promote the economic and social benefits of sports. Links to several sports facilities that received state funds.
• Minnesota Ballpark Authority - Created to govern the new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins baseball team.
• Minnesota Office of Combative Sports - Site of the licensing authority for boxing, wrestling, judo, jujitsu, kickboxing and other combative sports.
• Minnesota State High School League (MSHL) - Nonprofit association of nearly 500 public and private schools focused on high school athletic and fine arts competitions.

Baseball

• Baseball Stadiums - A guide compiled by the staff of the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
• Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks - Moorhead's independent professional men's baseball team.
• Major League Baseball (MLB) - News, statistics, and schedules for the National League and the American League.
• Minnesota Baseball Association - Information on Minnesota men's amateur baseball teams.
• Minnesota Twins - Official website for Minnesota's men's professional baseball team.
• Saint Paul Saints - St. Paul's independent professional men's baseball team. Members of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball league.

Basketball

• Minnesota Lynx - Official website for Minnesota's women's professional basketball team.
• Minnesota Timberwolves - Official website for Minnesota's men's professional basketball team.
• National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Basketball in Minnesota and the Target Center Areana - A guide compiled by the staff of the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
• Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)

Bicycling

• Bicycling in Minnesota - Information from the Minnesota Department of Transportation on resources for bicyclists, includes bike trail maps.
• Bike Safety - Information from the Minnesota State Patrol on bike safety, helmets, and laws.
• Explore Minnesota Biking - Information from the Minnesota Office of Tourism on biking and bike trails in Minnesota.
• State Trails List - Information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on Minnesota state bike trails.

Boating

• Boating - Information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on boating, canoeing, kayaking, and a Boating Guide. Also includes procedures and fees for Watercraft Licenses.
• Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness - Information from the Superior National Forest. Includes area history, trip planning, and entry points.
• Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness - A group dedicated to the preservation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. See also the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act of 1978 and the The Wilderness Act of 1964.

Collegiate Sports

• BigTen Conference - Access to the home page from the athletics conference, information about the University of Minnesota's teams, and links to the other teams in the conference.
• Gophersports.com - Athletics site for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
• Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - Conference for Minnesota's Division III private undergraduate colleges.
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) - Voluntary association of approximately 1,200 institutions, conferences, organizations, and individuals devoted to the sound administration of intercollegiate athletics. Links to data on NCAA Gender Equity (Title IX).
• University of Minnesota-Twin Cities: Athletics - Site devoted to athletics and sports at the University of Minnesota .

Fishing

• Explore Minnesota Fishing - Information from the Minnesota Office of Tourism on fishing in Minnesota.
• Fisheries and Habitat Conservation - Information from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
• American Indian Fishing and Hunting Rights - A guide compiled by the staff of the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
• Minnesota Fishing - Information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on licenses, regulations, state records, tournaments, fish species, fishing waters, and Fishing Piers.
• Outdoor News - Online version of this Minnesota hunting and fishing publication.

Football

• Football Stadiums in Minnesota and the Vikings - A guide compiled by the staff of the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
• Minnesota Vikings - Official website for Minnesota's men's professional football team.
• Minnesota Vixen - Official website for Minnesota's women's professional football team.
• National Football League (NFL)

Golfing

• Explore Minnesota Golf - Provides information from the Minnesota Office of Tourism on golfing in Minnesota.
• Minnesota Section Professional Golfers Association (PGA) - Grass-roots network that links golf professionals with amateur golfers from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and parts of Wisconsin. Provides a calendar of Minnesota events and current scores.
• Professional Golfers Association (PGA) - Official website for professional golfers. Provides news and tournament information.
• United States Golf Association - The national governing body of golf. Provides golf history, rules, news, and other information.

Hiking

• Explore Minnesota Hiking/Backpacking - Provides information from the Minnesota Office of Tourism on hiking/backpacking in Minnesota.
• State Trails List - Information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on Minnesota state hiking trails.
• Superior Hiking Trail Association - Information on this hiking trail that runs along the north shore of Lake Superior.

Hockey

• Mighty Ducks Program - A guide compiled by the staff of the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
• Minnesota Wild - Official site for the Minnesota's men's professional hockey team.
• Professional Hockey in Minnesota - A guide compiled by the staff of the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
• National Hockey League (NHL) - A good source for hockey news and statistics.
• Professional Women's Hockey League - This league was created in 2023.
• United States Hockey Hall of Fame - America's designated shrine and showcase to all levels of the sport. Located in Eveleth, Minnesota, "The Capital of American Hockey."

Hunting

• Hunting (Minnesota) - Information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on licenses, regulations, hunting seasons, and tips.
• Hunting (United States) - Information from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Indian Fishing and Hunting Rights - A guide compiled by the staff of the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
• Outdoor News - Online version of this Minnesota hunting and fishing publication.

Lacrosse

• Minnesota Lacrosse Association - Promoters of men's and women's lacrosse in Minnesota.
• Minnesota Swarm - Official website for the Minnesota men's lacrosse team.

Off Roading

• All-Terrain and Off-Highway Vehicle Legislation - Scroll down to this section for information briefs by the Minnesota House Research Department.
• All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Association of Minnesota - Minnesota ATV advocates.
• Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Riding - Information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on all terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-highway motorcycles (OHMs) and off-road vehicles (ORVs) such as 4x4 trucks or Jeeps. Includes rules, regulations, and trail data.
• State-Funded Trails for Motorized Recreation - 2003 report from the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor.

Parks, Forests, and Public Land

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

• State Parks - Information on Minnesota state parks. Find a Park by Name.
• State Trails List - Information on Minnesota state trails.
• State-Owned Land in Minnesota - A guide created by the Minnesota House Research Department.
• Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) - Information on Minnesota's Wildlife Management Areas.
• Find a State Forest by Location - Information on Minnesota state forests, includes location, rules, camping, and facilities.
• Land Conservation Grants - Information on matching grant programs including prairie restoration, metro greenways, Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM), and natural and scenic areas.
• Scientific and Natural Areas (SNAs) - Information on Minnesota's Prairie Grasslands SNAs, Deciduous Woods SNAs, and Coniferous Forests SNAs.
• Regional Parks - Information from the Metropolitan Council on regional parks in the seven county Twin Cities metropolitan area.

National Park Service (NPS)

• Voyageurs National Park
• National Park Service Interactive Map - Click on the map of Minnesota for state sites managed by the NPS.

United States Forest Service

• Chippewa National Forest - Lists Recreation Activities available in this national forest located in Minnesota.
• Superior National Forest - Lists Recreational activities available in this national forest located in Minnesota.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

• Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness - A group dedicated to the preservation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Provides a link to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act of 1978.
• BWCAW Trip Planning Guide (2019)

Running

• Grandma's Marathon - Annual event held in June in Duluth, Minnesota.
• Minnesota Distance Running Association - "Supporting Minnesota runners since 1961."
• Twin Cities in Motion - Includes information on the Twin Cities Marathon, an annual event held in October in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Skiing

• Cross-Country Skiing - Information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on ski passes, trails, and snow depth.
• Downhill Skiing in Minnesota - Descriptions of and links to the major downhill ski sites in Minnesota.
• Explore Minnesota Snow Activities - Provides information from the Minnesota Office of Tourism on downhill and cross-country skiing in Minnesota.

Snowmobiling

• Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association (MnUSA) - Advocates of the sport of snowmobiling.
• Snowmobiling - Information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on regulations, permits, safety, studded track laws, and trails.

Soccer

• Major League Soccer (MLS) - Site for the United States' men's professional outdoor soccer league.
• Minnesota Aurora FC - Minnesota's USL W soccer team.
• Minnesota United FC - Minnesota's MLS professional soccer team.
• Minnesota Youth Soccer Association - Promoters of the game of soccer for players under 20 years of age in the State of Minnesota.
• U.S. Soccer - Official site for the United States soccer governing body.
• United Soccer Leagues - Official site of the largest North American organization of soccer leagues.

Volleyball

• League One Volleyball Pro (LOVB) - This professional league is expanding to Minnesota in 2027.

Water Skiing

• Minnesota Water Ski Association - Includes information on native Minnesotan Ralph W. Samuelson, who invented water skiing on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota.
• Ski Otters - Site for this Minnesota water ski show team.
• Twin Cities River Rats - Site for this Minnesota water ski show team.
• USA Water Ski - The national governing body for organized water skiing. Includes information on the beginning of water skiing by native Minnesotan Ralph W. Samuelson, who invented water skiing on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota.

The sites listed on this page are not created, maintained, or endorsed by the Minnesota Legislature.