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Local officials have been buzzing with Steel City pride since the NFL announced Pittsburgh as the site for the 2026 draft in May.
Now a host committee, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, the mayor, county executive, and VisitPittsburgh, is leading decisions on how to spend up to $4 million in taxpayer money as part of an anticipated $11 million fund, in consultation with a general committee of three dozen industry and nonprofit leaders who will work under them.
The City of Pittsburgh approved $1 million to VisitPittsburgh for the draft as part of the collective fund for the event. Corporate and nonprofit sponsors are being asked to contribute $5 million, and Allegheny County might contribute $3 million, according to reports from local news outlets. VisitPittsburgh also intends to put $2 million into the project, according to reports.
Cities in recent years have vied for the NFL Draft to showcase regions as a backdrop to one of the most popular events on the NFL calendar. And then there’s the potential economic boost: Experts said in Detroit, the three-day event brought about $214 million in economic impact for the City of Detroit and the surrounding metro region.
“The economic impact from previous draft destinations has ranged between $120 [million] to upward of $213 million, and we expect Pittsburgh to be well within that range,” said Emily Hatfield, spokesperson for VisitPittsburgh.
No economic projections have been released to the public for the draft in Pittsburgh. Hatfield said a full economic impact report would not be completed until after the draft.
The request for local investment supporting the draft comes at a time of belt-tightening in the city and a proposed tax increase for the county.
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s proposed 2025 budget contains the first property tax increase in about a decade. County Council must approve the budget, and it is not clear if they will approve a tax increase.
City Council approved the $1 million request championed by Mayor Ed Gainey, as an allocation to VisitPittsburgh, less than a week after Gainey said, “The next couple years of budgets will be more conservative.” Federal COVID-19 funding ends at the end of this year.
When asked specifically about ongoing spending for the draft amid the current budget, Gainey remained optimistic.
“Hosting the NFL Draft in 2026 will allow us to showcase what makes this city so special and highlight the integral role we play in the story of this beloved sport,” he said. "We’re thankful the NFL believes in the city’s ability to host this event and provide football and sports fans alike with a memorable experience.”
In addition to his proposal to council, Gainey also sits on the Executive Pittsburgh Host Committee, the group responsible for planning the draft.
Innamorato and Shapiro are also members of the executive committee, joined by VisitPittsburgh CEO Jerad Bachar, Steelers’ President Art Rooney II, and PNC CEO William Demchak.
Final decisions about the draft will be made by those six individuals, Hatfield said.
“Members of the Pittsburgh Host Committee were engaged as a part of the bid process to demonstrate Pittsburgh’s broad, cross-sector local support to host an event of this size and scale and to tap the expertise of these leaders,” Hatfield said.
“This is an NFL-led event, so most expenses are covered by the League,” Hatfield said.
She said the budget will be managed by the executive committee, “with the end result in mind — a strong local return on investment.”
“We’ve had a couple of meetings, the NFL came .... they have let us know they are interested in working with the community for the community and having a lasting impact,” said Melanie Marie Boyer, executive director, Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and member of the general committee.
The general committee is composed of representatives of Pittsburgh’s most notable corporations and nonprofits including UPMC, Amazon, Gateway Financial Group, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Highmark Health, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. It’s not clear how the committee was selected.
“The NFL draft being held in Pittsburgh will certainly showcase our city and region not to mention the economic impact during the draft days. I expect tourism to get a boost from many of the out-of-town visitors that will discover our city for the first and time and return in the future to enjoy the many attractions Pittsburgh has to offer, "said state Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-42nd), a member of the general committee.
Hatfield said the committee will host “several community roundtables — held in conjunction with the NFL — over the next 18 months.”
Roundtables have not been scheduled yet, and the topics of discussion have not been announced.
The offices of the governor and county executive referred questions about their participation on the committee to VisitPittsburgh.
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