Many hub residents will tell you they have trouble reaching even the lowest tier of a program because they have at most 2 segs per week (just examples) etc. If you choose another airlines and are willing to connect most weeks then you will earn status at potentially twice the pace.

Delta still offers a 500-mile minimum to general members. For the other big legacy airlines (AA,CO,US, and UA) you have to attain status first before you get a 500-mile minimum on each flight. So your first taste of status might be the toughest to reach. If you are confident of lots of travel you should approach one of these carriers and propose a challenge. This might fast track you to status and then it will be easier (not easy, but easier) to maintain status and maybe even climb the status ladder.

MSP is quite north. With DL, if your travels take you all over the U.S. then you will have a good chance of exceeding 500-miles each trip (assuming you don't connect through DTW, MEM, etc). I would think that residents of MEM would have it the toughest since they are so centrally located. I have a relative that is lucky to get FO each year because each R/T usually gets him only 1000 MQMs or just slightly above that.

If you choose AA or UA you will be connecting through ORD a lot. If you choose CO expect to be all over the map with connections (IAH, CLE, & EWR). If you choose US you could earn your way to status FAST if you connect through PHX or CLT.... maybe even double connections MSP>PHL>CLT>??? (I'm not even sure if US has non-stops from MSP to PHX).

Good luck and report back what you decide.