The NFL has announced that Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft……

The NFL has announced that Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft.

The 2026 NFL draft will be held in Pittsburgh, the NFL confirmed on Wednesday. Since the event moved from New York to the city in 2015, this will be the first time it has taken place there.

Draft Location Announced

Art Rooney II, the CEO and president of the Steelers, disclosed that the draft will take place outdoors of Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore. He anticipates that the space between the stadium and PNC Park will be packed. Because professional football has strong roots in our area, we intend to commemorate football’s rich heritage. The Joe Montanas and Dan Marinos who originated in our region,” Rooney remarked on Wednesday.

Successful Bid and Announcement

In 2026 and 2027, the Steelers had offered to host the draft. In a Wednesday morning phone call, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Rooney, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and state lawmakers of Pittsburgh’s successful bid. “We believe it will be the biggest tourist event in Pittsburgh’s history, drawing in hundreds of thousands of people and a national audience of football fans, especially those from Steelers Nation,” Rooney stated. “It will be an exciting time, and we are just looking forward to hosting that.”

Planning and Weather Preparations

According to Rooney, the Steelers began preparing to host the event some years ago, but they only completed their bid last year. Even in late April, organizing an outdoor event in Pittsburgh can be difficult because of the city’s erratic and frequently rainy springtime weather. He added, “You have to prepare for the weather.” “Obviously, we can do it in Pittsburgh if they can do it in Detroit and Green Bay.”

Significance for the Steelers

According to Rooney, hosting the draft is particularly important for a team that takes pleasure in using the draft to assemble its greatest squads. The 1974 Steelers draft, which resulted in five Hall of Famers, was the greatest draft in [club] history, and this year we honored its 50th anniversary, Rooney stated. “We think that’s a tremendous element of hosting it, and we have a great heritage with the draft in our company. We’ll be honoring not only the history and diverse origins of the game, but also the great players who were born and raised in Pittsburgh and spent the formative years of their careers there.

Upcoming NFL Draft Host: Green Bay

The NFL draft will take place in Green Bay in 2025; in Detroit, in 2024, a record-breaking 775,000 spectators attended the draft.

Regarding the expansion of the traveling draft, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated, “I don’t think any of us envisioned that it would be as big as it is.” “I thought Detroit was fantastic. The fans’ fervor and excitement for the event were truly remarkable. We had great success in Radio City. Some may argue that it’s the world’s media market, but we were in a pretty good place there. One year, however, the facility became unavailable, so we decided it was time to move on, and I don’t think we’re looking back. We’re all looking forward, Pittsburgh included, I believe.