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Steelers Named Finalist to Host 2026 NFL Draft
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of a handful of teams that have made the shortlist to host the 2026 NFL Draft, according to a report from WTAE's Andrew Stockey, who spoke to Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's vice president for league events, about the event.
"There are more than 20 clubs, cities who are interested in hosting the draft," he said of the Steelers' odds to host a future draft. "That's been winnowed down, and Pittsburgh is part of a small subset.”
Stockey wrote that, should Pittsburgh win the bid to host, the draft would not be held inside of Acrisure Stadium but likely at a separate stage within walking distance of the home of the Steelers and other locatons around the city would host events as well.
NFL officials have taken multiple visits to Pittsburgh already to see how well the draft would fit in the city and Steelers officials have taken in draft events themselves to get a first-hand look at how things operate.
Should Pittsburgh's bid to host the draft be accepted, the league would move quickly to help the Steelers build up the infrastructure to host. Even though it's two years out, the process is long and requires lots of advanced planning.
But there's a big payoff for all that work. In addition to the scenes created by hosting this kind of spectacle in the Steel City, the economic impact could be worth upwards of $160 million, according to an estimate from Visit Pittsburgh.
Steelers fans will know soon if their city is hosting a future draft - the announcement of who will host the 2026 NFL Draft comes next month.
STEPHEN THOMPSON
Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.