Minnesota is recognized for its cold winters, amazing lakes, and passionate sports fans. These fans stick by their team year after year, even though there have been plenty of painful moments. Other than the Lynx, the last team to win a championship from Minnesota was the Twins back in 1991. Unlike a lot of teams, Minnesota franchises are always right in the thick of it. They just can’t seem to get over the hurdle, no matter how hard they try.
Minnesota teams embrace the lifestyle of those who are from the state. They know that everything is earned, not given. They’ve been through ups and downs, but have always been right there. The teams are constantly working hard to improve themselves and get closer to the goal of winning a championship. It’s going to come sooner than later since most Minnesota teams are already really talented. Click here to read more about the biggest sports scandals in history.
It’s time to introduce sports fans to the most popular teams in Minnesota. For this article, 24/7 Tempo collected data from multiple different sports-centered sites. These include MLB.com, NFL.com, and NBA.com.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Source: Nick Laham / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Source: Nick Laham / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves are a great NBA team.
While it didn’t pan out as they would have liked it to, the start of the 2023 season has shown the dream coming true. The Timberwolves are one of the best teams in the NBA and have one of the most elite young cores around. Even though they haven’t won a championship yet, there appears to be a shift happening in the NBA.
More and more small market teams are organically growing talent and winning. Just look at the Denver Nuggets, the team who won it all last year. The Timberwolves play their home games at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. The longer and longer the season goes on, the more and more the Timberwolves look like they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the NBA for years to come.
Minnesota Vikings
Source: Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Source: Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The Minnesota Vikings are a wonderful part of the NFL.
Most sports lovers remember where they were for the Minneapolis Miracle. With only seconds remaining, Case Keenum threw the ball up to Stefon Diggs against the New Orleans Saints to go to the NFC Championship game in 2018. Diggs caught it and ran it in as time expired, giving fans one of the greatest sports moments of all time.
In the end, the Vikings came up short and couldn’t make it to the Super Bowl. What would have been really cool is they would have been the first team to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Every year, the Super Bowl is at a different location. Up until 2021, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it, no team had made the Super Bowl the same year their stadium was the host. Ironically enough, it happened again the very next year with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Vikings are still in search of their first Super Bowl win, even though they’ve played in the big game a couple of times. Their home games are played at U.S. Bank Stadium, one of the nicest stadiums in all of the NFL. They were smart in designing it with a roof over top. This way, no snow or frigid temperatures can impact the game in a negative way.
Minnesota Twins
Source: David Berding / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Source: David Berding / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The Minnesota Twins are great at playing baseball.
The Minnesota Twins were the last of the four major sports teams in Minnesota to win a championship back in 1991. Amazingly enough, that was also the last time any of the four major sports teams were in the championship round. More than 30 years later, the Twins have made the playoffs each of the last few seasons.
The key for them now is to figure out how to move on to further rounds. For whatever reason, they seem to flame out whenever they get to this point. However, there are a lot of MLB fans who would give anything to be in a situation where the team is playing meaningful baseball late into the season. The Twins play their home games at the brand new Target Field.
They used to share a dome with the Vikings, until one day there was too much snow on the roof and it caved in. Both teams were already planning on getting a new stadium, but this accelerated the process to get so. The Twins are aiming to get back and with talent like Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, it’s only a matter of time until we see another World Series in Minnesota.
Minnesota Wild
Source: Elsa / Getty Images
Source: Elsa / Getty Images
The Minnesota Wild is a wonderful NHL team.
The Minnesota Wild are only one of two professional sports teams in Minnesota to not play in Minneapolis. They’re based out of Saint Paul, which is only a short drive away. The Wild are one of the newest teams in the NHL based on when they came in, but they always seem to be lurking in the playoff picture.
They play with such tenacity and physicality that teams know it’s going to be a long series whenever they see the Wild in the playoffs or regular season. Hockey is also quite popular all throughout Minnesota, thanks to how easy it is to play during the frosty winter on a frozen lake. When the Wild do end up getting the job done, natives are going to celebrate like no other.
As of now, the Wild play their home games at the Xcel Center in Saint Paul. Those who live closer to Saint Paul appreciate the fact that they aren’t overlooked when it comes to the location of sports teams. Saint Paul is a big city, and having a team is one way to show that off.
Minnesota Lynx
Source: Hannah Foslien / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Source: Hannah Foslien / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The WNBA has the Minnesota Lynx as a team.
The one team Minnesota has been able to rely on for championships over the last three decades is the Lynx of the WNBA. Between 2011 and 2017, the Lynx made it to six WNBA Finals series while winning four of them. They were led by one of the greatest point guards in WNBA history, Maya Moore.
After basketball, she made her name by helping African American men who were wrongly convicted of crimes they didn’t commit get out of jail. Her influence has spread far beyond basketball, proving how powerful WNBA players truly are. As for the Lynx, they’re still looking to get back to the dynasty standard they set for themselves in the 2010s. There’s no reason to think they won’t be there soon, though.
They Lynx play their home games at the Target Center, like the Timberwolves. It’s great to see WNBA teams getting to play in areans that hold so many people, thanks to how much the game has grown over the past decade. It won’t be long until the WNBA and Lynx are selling out games regularly.
Minnesota United FC
Source: Mark Fann / Shutterstock.com
Source: Mark Fann / Shutterstock.com
The Minnesota United FC is a fabulous soccer team.
Another sport that’s exploded in popularity in the Untied States is soccer. The league found a great market in Minnesota, and thus rewarded them with a team. Minnesota United FC. is the other pro sports team in Minnesota that plays in Saint Paul, along with the Wild.
Unlike many teams in the state, Minnesota United plays their games outdoors, embracing the harsh elements that come along at anytime in the state. They use this to their advantage, though. Since they’re used to it, when teams that are from warmer climates have to come and play, they usually don’t do as well.
The home stadium for Minnesota United FC is Allianz Stadium. Minnesota United is still looking for their first MLS Cup in team history, but look to be on the right track. Soccer is great because it’s a win or go home, meaning any team can win just one game. It gives soccer fans a reason to have hope during the season and playoffs. (For a similar story, click here to read more about the sports teams in Colorado.)
