Sports

The first Minnesota Aurora game kicks off Thursday night with a sold-out stadium and a mission: Prove women's soccer can succeed at the local level.

Why it matters: The new team brings more hype and excitement around a growing movement to boost women's sports, and creates an opportunity to see rising stars before they hit the big leagues.

The Wild have a chance to gratify an increasingly desperate and despondent Minnesota sports fan base.

State of hockey: The Wild squandered a chance to take a series lead on Tuesday night. They'll have to win Game 6 in St. Louis tonight to keep the series alive and force a deciding Game 7 in St. Paul.

A push to make boys volleyball an official high school sport in Minnesota fell one vote short of victory Tuesday.

What happened: The Minnesota State High School League Representative Assembly's 31-17 vote just missed the two-thirds majority needed to approve a proposal to add it as a sanctioned sport.

The Minnesota Lynx will have to overcome roster challenges to continue their reign as one of the state's most successful pro-sports franchises in recent years.

Driving the news: The Lynx kick off the 2022 season tonight against another veteran-heavy contender, the Seattle Storm.

A thoroughbred owned by a Minnesotan is the early favorite to win the Kentucky Derby.

Driving the news: Bettors placing wagers ahead the Saturday race see 3-year-old Zandon as the horse to beat following the announcement of gate placements.

It turns out that 2014 was a great time to build a pro-football stadium, if you're into that kind of thing.

Driving the news: Leaders in Tennessee discovered recently that fixing up Nashville's Nissan Stadium, where the Titans play, would cost double the initial estimate of $600 million, as Axios Nashville has reported.

More college basketball is coming to the Twin Cities.

What's happening: The Big 10 Conference announced yesterday that Minneapolis will host its women's and men's tournaments in the coming years.

Fans of Minnesota's new women's soccer team will see taxpayer-funded sales pitches about visiting the state on the pitch itself.

Driving the news: Tourism agency Explore Minnesota recently inked a $65,000 sponsorship deal with Aurora FC that includes prominent placement on players' jerseys.