"The University of Minnesota's president said Friday that alcohol sales at the U's TCF Bank stadium would probably be allowed should the Minnesota Vikings play there temporarily. The ban on sales at college games would be unchanged.

President Eric Kaler said that the university was considering the issue, with the final decision on enacting separate alcohol policies for pro and college games likely headed to the Board of Regents. The Vikings and the university are in stepped-up negotiations to have the team play at TCF for three years should a new Vikings stadium be built at the site of the Metrodome, the team's home for the past 30 years.

"If we're going to let the Vikings use TCF Stadium, that's going to have to be part of the deal," said Kaler, who said the U is now talking to the team regularly. Kaler, who became president in July, said the regents would have to consider approving alcohol sales "as part of the overall agreement to let the Vikings use" TCF Bank Stadium.

Meanwhile, talk emerged Friday of another possible site option that would make discussions about moving to TCF moot. Vikings vice president of stadium development Lester Bagley and Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission chairman Ted Mondale said they've been looking at acreage just southeast of the Dome, between 11th Avenue S. and Interstate 35W. Bagley said that the location would be ideal but that buildings on the site might be difficult to relocate.

"We've not yet seen a viable plan that would accomplish that," he said."