Pittsburgh set record attendance for the NFL Draft as the event drew 805,000 over three-days, with people “between Point State Park and outside Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore, besting the previous record of 775,000, set in Detroit” in 2024. The event “added up to what local officials called a one-time opportunity to reintroduce Pittsburgh to global audiences.” Pittsburgh “spent months prepping for the limelight,” and it seems to have paid off. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro noted all the corporate CEOs visiting over the three days and said, “As a result of CEOs coming here for the first time, you will see them place bets on Pittsburgh. You will see them invest in Pittsburgh” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/26). Saturday’s Day 3 drew 176,000 fans despite rain falling in the city (THE ATHLETIC, 4/26).
Pittsburgh “smashed draft attendance numbers … as crowds filled area hotels, packed public transit and flooded city streets.” The city “not only joined the pantheon of host cities but managed to one-up everyone else in the process.” Crime “was nearly nonexistent” and traffic “was minimal” (TRIBLIVE, 4/26).
This all comes while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said there were representatives from 10 different cities in Pittsburgh scouting out the draft. Goodell added the growth of the event means that “we’re going to probably have to start allocating the drafts a little further in advance” (“The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN, 4/24).
