GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The countdown to the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay is officially underway after a symbolic handoff of hosting duties from Detroit took place Tuesday morning in Milwaukee with a ceremonial football eventually making its way up to Lambeau Field.
The fanfare highlighted the huge economic opportunities awaiting the state, and the help needed to put on the massive draft event.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, mentioned several times throughout the day that Detroit set a high bar with last month’s draft. More than 775,000 people attended.
While crowd estimates for Titletown’s draft next year of 250,000 people haven’t been raised in response to Detroit’s turnout, no one is counting out Packers fans for showing up in a big way in 11 months.
“There’s a ton of work to do over the next 11 months, but we’re looking to make it bigger and better than ever before,” said Miller.
Aboard the Lake Express Ferry in Milwaukee, Governor Tony Evers received the football from Detroit. With guidance from a bike brigade, the ball made its way up the east coast of Wisconsin and eventually received a warm welcome from young Packers fans.
The fans showed up to Ray Nitschke Field like they do each summer to bring players to and from training camp practice, but this time the bikes were to escort that football to Lambeau Field and usher in Green Bay’s once in a lifetime event.
“I’m very excited because I’m going to be going,” said 8-year-old Jordan Morris of Green Bay.
An unveiling of the NFL Draft countdown clock in the Lambeau Field Atrium culminated the day’s events and provided a large reminder the clock is ticking on what’s to come next year.
“We’ve got a lot of great people working on it and obviously the league has a got this down to a science,” said Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy when asked how the area will handle the large crowds of the draft. “They take it across the country and it’s been to many, many cities, but there’s no question we’re the smallest city that will ever host it, but I’m confident we’ll have a plan in place.”
“It’s not going to be just Green Bay,” said Miller. “Certainly, the surrounding area too, the number of hotel rooms and accommodations are going to be a challenge for people, but Detroit was able to manage it, other cities have been able to manage it. Green Bay can handle a pretty big event on a Sunday afternoon in the fall, so I hope this will be equally accessible to folks.”
Murphy says the creative juices are already flowing.
“Getting cruise ships in the bay I think that would be helpful. Obviously, Air BnB, we’re going to need a lot of people renting out their homes and then working with Amtrak to get train service during the three days of the draft up to Green Bay.”
The cruise ships and train service are not certainties at this point.
The belief is people will be staying all along the route the football took on Tuesday between Green Bay and Milwaukee.
The statewide economic impact is projected to be $94 million.
Mark your calendars, the 2025 NFL Draft is set for April 24-26.
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