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National Sports Center
National Sports Center NSCsports.org • 763.785.5600 • 1700 105th Ave. NE, Blaine
A Unique Resource for Residents
The largest amateur sports campus in the world right in the City of Blaine, the National Sports Center (NSC) offers over 600 acres for year-round sports programs and events in sports as diverse as soccer, hockey, golf, figure skating, yoga, and ultimate disc.
The NSC opened in 1990. Built by the State of Minnesota but operated by the nonprofit corporation National Sports Center Foundation (NSCF), the NSC operates on a self-supporting basis. Although state funds were used to build the facility, no operating subsidy is provided.
The NSC’s flagship annual event is the Target USA CUP, the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere. In 2019, the event hosted 16,389 players from 1,152 teams, representing 22 states and 20 countries. The nine days of USA CUP is a unique and proud time for Blaine residents, as the world truly comes to Blaine.
Super Rink
Opened in October of 1998, the Super Rink expanded from the original four sheets of ice to eight sheets in the fall of 2006. Programs include hockey, figure skating, broomball, short-track speedskating, and public skating.
The Super Rink features two unique facilities. The Herb Brooks Training Center is a 12,500 square-foot dry-land training facility to teach young players the latest training techniques. For the figure skating community, the 6,200 square foot training center provides a conditioning and dance studio, changing area, parents’ viewing area, and offices for coaches.
The Super Rink is the training home for the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team, and the team visits Blaine for training camps several times each year. The rink is the home ice for the Bethel University men’s and women’s hockey teams, as well as Irondale, Mounds View, and Legacy Christian high school hockey teams.
Victory Links Golf Course
Established in 2003, Victory Links is the only PGA Tour-designed public golf course in Minnesota. Boasting 18 holes of links-style golf, Victory Links is designed to be inviting as a family-friendly course suitable for youth golf and challenging enough to host a PGA Tour event. In fact, the course hosted three qualifying tournaments for the 3M Open this year.
Victory Links is comprised of an 18-hole championship course, oversized grass tee driving range, and a one-of-a-kind 18-hole bent grass putting course. Covering over 400 acres, players can enjoy the beauty of the Minnesota prairie grasses, tranquil native areas, and even glimpses of wildlife. With 50 soccer fields, the NSC has been certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the “largest soccer complex” in the world. And with 4 million visitors a year, the NSC is Minnesota’s most-visited sports facility.
Minnesota United FC
Minnesota’s MLS professional soccer team Minnesota United FC calls the National Sports Center home. MN United plays their games at Allianz Field in St. Paul but spends the rest of their time in Blaine. The team has dedicated field space, locker rooms, training rooms, and offices at the National Sports Center.
The Welcome Center
Opened in the spring of 2005, the Welcome Center hosts sportrelated events, conferences, and trade shows as well as NSC tournament activities. The Welcome Center includes meeting rooms of varying sizes. The small conference rooms can double as VIP suites for major stadium events.
In 2012, the 21,000 square-foot Sport Expo Center was added to the Welcome Center complex. This facility adds an expo space for consumer and trade shows and can be used for sports training including basketball and volleyball. The addition makes the entire Welcome Center a 36,000 square-foot facility.
Major Features on Campus
Stadium: The 5,500 seat NSC Stadium hosts Target USA CUP feature games and ceremonies, major soccer games such as U.S. National Team games, and even concerts and marching band festivals. The stadium has hosted six different U.S. National Team soccer games over the years against teams from Canada, Sweden, Norway, Australia, and Mexico. The NSC Stadium is the training grounds for the Minnesota United FC, an MLS professional team. The stadium is available year-round with a temporary dome cover during the winter months.
Sports Hall: The indoor Sports Hall, 100 x 70 yards, is host to indoor soccer, lacrosse, baseball training, and other field sports activities. During the winter months, the NSC Sports Hall is busy every day with soccer leagues and training, offering a great offseason training opportunity for Blaine soccer families.
Fields: For first-time visitors to Blaine, the most striking feature of the NSC campus is the number of multi-use playing fields. Currently with 50 fields, the plan is to ultimately add 12 additional fields to bring the campus to an impressive 62 fields.
Soccer is the big field sport at the NSC, but the fields are also used for other sports such as rugby, lacrosse, and ultimate disc.
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