We know Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft. And we also have a pretty good idea of exactly where in the city it will take place. Speaking to the media as the NFL announced its decision to award the 2026 draft to Pittsburgh, team president Art Rooney II detailed its draft location.
“The location will most likely be right outside of Acrisure Stadium and spilling into the downtown areas,” Rooney said via the team website. “I think the North Shore is willing to handle it.”
The NFL’s marquee offseason event has nearly become as big as the Super Bowl itself with Roger Goodell saying last month teams are nearly as competitive to host the draft as they are the big game. Cities like Pittsburgh don’t have the opportunity to host a Super Bowl in cold and outdoor environment, making the draft their best substitute.
WPXI’s Jenna Harner offered a few more details, noting the stage will take place in the corner outside the stadium.
For some more clarification – the stage will be somewhere in that “corner” of the stadium (with downtown being the backdrop) and fans will be going back down West General Robinson St., along with being at Point State Park
— Jenna Harner (@JennaHarner11) May 22, 2024
Detroit set a draft record with nearly 800,000 fans attending the three-day event last month, smashing the previous top mark. Pittsburgh will try to beat that figure two years from now. The large presence of Steeler Nation is a great starting point, an opportunity for fans all over the country and world to come to Pittsburgh. The team has also pointed out its proximity to other NFL cities. Pittsburgh is in the middle of Cleveland, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Buffalo, and the New York teams, bringing in fans who can make the drive without having to travel cross-country.
The local economy will see a massive benefit from the event. Kansas City hosted the 2023 event and generated $164.3 million in revenue. Detroit will have likely topped that figure and it’s reasonable for Pittsburgh to be in the ballpark.
More details about the draft will come out in the coming months. The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay and once that passes, attention will really ramp up on Pittsburgh.
