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Vikings stadium: Relocation date will pass

This should come as a surprise to no one, but I wanted to pass it along regardless: The Minnesota Vikings won't submit a letter requesting relocation by Wednesday's NFL deadline.

Although the team's Metrodome lease has expired and there is not yet an agreement to construct a new stadium, the Vikings feel confident enough in the direction of negotiations that they never seriously considered relocation for 2012. Lester Bagley, vice president of stadium development and public affairs, said: "We feel we're making solid progress toward a solution in Minnesota. We're in position to get it done in 2012. We want to get it done in Minnesota and we want to be here. We're doing everything we can to make that happen."

I'll have some thoughts Wednesday about the leverage the Vikings could have wielded, and might still wield, on the relocation front. We'll also try to sketch the likeliest set of events over the next few weeks as the Minnesota state legislature approaches its April 10 adjournment.