Pennsylvania governor campaigns for Pittsburgh to host 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft

The Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh announced their desires last month to host the NFL Draft. And now the governor is joining the campaign to bring the spectacle to Steel City.

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro issued a statement earlier this week to support Pittsburgh’s bid for the draft.

“Pittsburgh has established itself as one of the most dynamic cities on the East Coast — and the birthplace of professional football,” Shapiro said in a statement to the media. “Pittsburgh is the best choice in the country to host the NFL Draft.”

The Steelers want to play host to the three-day event in 2026 and 2027. There are several reasons to want the big football party. For one, it is huge exposure for the city, with ESPN and the NFL Network going live for hours of coverage for three days. Fans of all teams can come to the city as NFL Draft tourists. It is like a big football fair.

The governor wasn’t the only major state or city figure to join the Steelers efforts. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that board members of the city Sports & Exhibition Authority voted to authorize executive director Aaron Waller to enter into agreements with the NFL and the Steelers. The board also may enter agreements with VisitPittsburgh, the city and Allegheny County to bring the draft here. The Stadium Authority also did the same.

NFL currently going through a Midwestern draft swing

The NFL seems to be on a Midwestern swing for its traveling road show. It will be in Detroit next month. And last year, Kansas City turned the event into a big Chiefs party.

Up until a decade ago, the the league maintained NFL Draft headquarters in New York. The league began televising the draft in 1980. It now serves as some well watched content to give football fans something to watch between the Super Bowl and the opening of preseason training camps this summer.

The NFL opened up the draft to other cities starting in 2015.