MINNEAPOLIS -- The NFL finalized dates for its preseason schedule on Tuesday afternoon, and the Minnesota Vikings will begin their exhibition schedule on a Thursday night in Buffalo.

The Vikings' preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills, which had previously been announced with a date and time to be determined, will be at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. in Minneapolis) on Thursday, Aug. 10, the NFL announced. The Vikings' second preseason game, against the Seattle Seahawks, will begin at 10 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Minneapolis) on Friday, Aug. 18.

Minnesota's two home preseason games -- a nationally televised Sunday night contest against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 27 and an Aug. 31 preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins -- had previously been announced.

The NFL's announcement of the preseason schedule also means we know when the Vikings can begin training camp: Players will likely report to Minnesota State-Mankato on July 26, with the team's first practice likely coming the next day.

The Vikings' deal with Minnesota State runs through the 2018 training camp, with the team holding a one-year option for 2019. The team's new practice facility is scheduled to open in March 2018, with a stadium big enough to stage training-camp practices, so the Vikings' days of leaving the Twin Cities for training camp could be numbered.