The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team founded in 1961. Based in suburban Minneapolis, they compete in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL).
Despite a long history, the Vikings have only one NFL championship, which they won in 1969. They reached the Super Bowl four times in the 1970s but lost on each occasion. From 1967, the team’s most successful period came under head coach Bud Grant, who led them to all four Super Bowl appearances. During that time, the Vikings’ defensive line, nicknamed the “Purple People Eaters,” included Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, while quarterback Fran Tarkenton led an efficient passing attack. The Vikings teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s featured an explosive offense but did not advance in the playoffs further than the NFC championship game. In 2009 quarterback Brett Favre led the Vikings to the NFC championship game, losing to the New Orleans Saints in overtime. The Vikings play their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium.