All eyes are focused on the city of Indianapolis this week as the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine takes place. Over the course of the event, 300-plus college prospects, more than 1,200 credentialed media members and representatives from all 32 NFL clubs are gathering at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Part of what makes this event so successful in Indianapolis is something that fans in Minneapolis will experience with the opening of U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016 – skyway connectivity to downtown.

With over 8 miles already connected via skyway in downtown Minneapolis, the current system will soon expand to include U.S. Bank Stadium on the far east side.

When the stadium opens this summer, fans will be able to walk from Target Field or the Target Center to the Vikings new home in a climate-controlled environment – a benefit for fans throughout the entire year. Notorious for its winter weather, the Minneapolis skyway inclusion for U.S. Bank Stadium will serve as a major component to the fan experience late in the season as temperatures drop.

Stadium officials have long-said that the inclusion of U.S. Bank Stadium into the downtown skyway system will make the brand new building the most connected stadium in the NFL, a factor in the region being awarded Super Bowl LII in February 2018.

"To have people walk from the downtown hotels through a skyway connection to the [new stadium] is going to be very important," MSFA Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen said prior to Minnesota being awarded the NFL's biggest game.

Connected to parking, hotels and restaurants throughout over 70 blocks in the downtown area, fans will have plenty of options for pre and postgame activities while remaining indoors if they opt to utilize the skyways.