GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Green Bay Packers and other local organizations continue to try and bring the NFL Draft to Green Bay.
The Stadium District Board met Monday afternoon to discuss what this could cost financially, and what kind of economic impact it could bring to the area.
As the 2024 NFL Draft was awarded to Detroit, Green Bay has its eye on the future.
With a pledge from the Stadium District, the hope is to land the event by 2027.
Packers Director of Public Affairs Aaron Popkey says the draft is usually put on by the host city’s visitors bureau.
“It takes truly a big network of support to go into something to that scope,” Popkey said.
Discover Green Bay CEO Brad Toll adding the event is highly sought after.
“Whenever you’re bidding on this kind of stuff, it’s extremely competitive,” Toll said. ” All of the cities want to get these events in.”
As such, Discover Green Bay already has received commitments from those in the hospitality industry, like hotels and potential venues for the duration of the event.
The conservative estimate for the cost of the draft is over $6 million.
The Packers have pledged $1 million in operational support, with other organizations pledging support over $200,000.
The Stadium District has now shown its support, pledging 50% of present and future district revenue from events held in the stadium bowl from 2022 to 2026, to a cap of $1.2 million, until the 2027 draft is awarded.
“As far as why do you need pledges for the dollars, if you talk to 10 cities and nine of those cities already have most of the money already pledged,” Toll went on. “And one doesn’t, you’re probably not in a very strong position to win a bid.”
Popkey says the Packers don’t expect to be making any money from the event.
“The economic impact, the Packers won’t be receiving any of that correct? It’s all going to hotels and everything around the area?” FOX 11 asked.
“The impact we know, conservatively is at $90 million,” said Popkey. “I spoke of the commitment we have to the community and giving back to the community for all of the support it has given the Packers for 100+ years. We feel this is another one of those types of events to maybe the greatest scale yet in terms of an event.”
The plan is for Discover Green Bay and the Packers to meet in both formal and informal settings with the NFL to continue conversations on bringing the draft to Green Bay.
A Packers official said indications show the 2025 draft is not necessarily being looked at for Green Bay.
The Packers said no to 2026 because the Notre Dame and Wisconsin game will be played at Lambeau.
2027 is still available for a draft to happen in Green Bay.
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