BLAINE, Minn. (May 12, 2008) – The National Sports Center (NSC) will once again be the home of the Minnesota Thunder.

Effectively immediately, all Thunder home games will be played at the NSC Stadium in Blaine. In addition, the agreement will keep the team at the NSC through the 2011 season.

The NSC Stadium already boasts a pristine natural grass playing surface, but renovations are currently being made to enhance the stadium’s atmosphere.

Work has already begun to remove the track on the stadium’s west side. The current playing surface will be moved 80 feet closer to the main grandstand. In addition, bleachers will be moved from existing locations in the stadium to enclose the field on the north, east and south sides.

These renovations will provide for a more intimate and traditional soccer experience. Completion of the project is scheduled for July 11. Events previously schedule to take place on the stadium field will take place as scheduled during the construction period.

“As the site of the world’s largest soccer complex and the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere, Schwan’s USA CUP, we are pleased to welcome the Thunder back to the NSC,” said Paul Erickson, executive director of the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, which manages the NSC.

As a result of the agreement, the Thunder will be vacating the 5,000-seat, artificial turf-based James Griffin Stadium in Saint Paul. All games originally scheduled for Griffin Stadium will now be played at the NSC Stadium, which in its new configuration will have a larger capacity of 8,500, with the ability to be expanded to approximately 12,000 by the addition of temporary seating.

The Thunder previously called the NSC home for 14 years, from 1990 to 2003, before moving to Griffin Stadium in 2004. Since then, the squad occasionally played home games at the Blaine facility during the NSC’s youth soccer tournaments.

One of the largest annual events held in the NSC Stadium is the opening ceremonies of the Schwan’s USA CUP soccer tournament, scheduled this year on July 14. The new stadium configuration will actually enhance that event, according to Schwan’s USA CUP director Teri Vogt.

“We will still have enough room for teams to parade into the stadium and sit on the field,” said Vogt. “In fact, we think the new compact space will make our opening ceremony an even more electric evening for players and fans. Everyone will be sitting closer to the action.”

The first Thunder game scheduled for the NSC Stadium is a May 24 contest against the Miami FC Blues. Kickoff is slated for 7:35 p.m.