The National Sports Center opened in 1990. The facility was built by the State of Minnesota as part of a statewide building program to improve Minnesota’s amateur sports facilities.

The current 600-acre campus, the world’s largest, bears only a faint resemblance to the facility that opened in 1990. The original complex had less than 30 soccer fields, the cycling velodrome, residence hall, stadium and sports hall. By 1994, the NSC had developed over 50 fields by purchasing land north of 105th Avenue. The Schwan Super Rink opened in October of 1998, the National Youth Golf Center opened in phases between 2000-2004 and the Schwan Center opened in April 2005. The Schwan Super Rink saw four additional sheets of ice added in the fall of 2006, making the eight-sheet ice arena the world’s largest.

The NSC Stadium underwent a reconfiguration in 2008 that made it a soccer-only venue. The track in front of the main stands was removed and the field was moved 80 feet closer to the stands, making for a intimate setting with fantastic sight lines.

The NSC has always had a dual mission:

• To generate out-of-state economic impact through amateur sports events and programs. In an independent study of the NSC by the State of Minnesota Office of Analysis and Evaluation, the NSC produces over $38 million of out-of-state economic impact annually. Out-of-state visitors generate $2.3 million of taxes to the state annually, and $800,000 in annual local taxes.
• To provide amateur sports opportunities to Minnesota residents. Even though the NSC has produced impressive out-of-state economic impact, the fact remains that the bulk of visitors are Minnesota residents – 92 percent, in fact. These are families and athletes who play in leagues and tournaments, attend events as spectators, buy tickets to non-sport events and play on the golf course. On an average day there are 12 different programs and events taking place at the NSC, and most service the local community.

The major theme that permeates the programming at the NSC is diversity – diversity in sport offerings, ages of participants, income levels and visitorship from around the world. The NSC is a priceless, innovative and unique state asset.