The favorites to host future NFL drafts are Minnesota in 2028 and Cincinnati in 2029, Sports Business Journal reported.
The NFL’s events committee is scheduled to meet next week to discuss the hosting rights, with an ownership vote expected at the May 19-20 meetings in Orlando, Fla.
The 2027 NFL Draft is taking place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Sports and Events announced a bid to host the draft in March, with the action centered around U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Other events would take place in St. Paul, the Mall of America and the Viking Lakes development around the team’s headquarters in Eagan, Minn., per the report.
The Vikings and NFL declined to comment on the SBJ story published Thursday.
Buffalo also has expressed interest in hosting the 2028 draft.
If the league decides to award two drafts at the same time, Cincinnati reportedly has the inside track for 2029.
Commissioner Roger Goodell told “The Pat McAfee Show” last week that “we’re going to probably have to start allocating the drafts a little further in advance” due to the event’s size. Pittsburgh set an attendance record during last month’s draft with 805,000 attendees, and D.C. officials have set a goal of 1 million fans attending the three-day festivities next year.
