Governor Dayton Buys Super Bowl Ticket for $6,000

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota's governor has forked over $6,000 for a ticket to his own state's Super Bowl game.

Gov. Mark Dayton expressed regret Wednesday that the Minnesota Vikings won't play the Feb. 4 game in Minneapolis. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Vikings Sunday to face the New England Patriots.

But Dayton says he still felt obligated to attend the game as Minnesota's governor. An aide said Dayton paid a ticket broker roughly $6,000 for a seat in the lower level at U.S. Bank Stadium.

It's unclear whether governors or mayors usually attend the NFL's championship games for free. But the top-dollar ticket will help Dayton avoid any appearance of special treatment.

Several Minnesota officials resigned last year after a controversy surrounding the use of suites at the new Vikings stadium.