Minnesota Aims to Host the 2028 NFL Draft in Minneapolis

Minnesota officials are pushing hard to host the 2028 NFL Draft, confirming Tuesday that they have submitted a bid to bring the three-day event to downtown Minneapolis.

Matt Meunier, director at Minnesota Sports & Events – the nonprofit charged with bringing major events to the Twin Cities, said U.S. Bank Stadium would be a "foundational piece" of the Twin Cities bid, with The Mall of America in Bloomington and the Viking Lakes development at the Minnesota Vikings' headquarters in Eagan also utilized.

CEO Wendy Blackshaw indicated that the draft would be funded mainly through corporate money, though specific details have not been disclosed. When Green Bay hosted the draft in 2025, it required a $7.5 million budget to develop infrastructure and promotion for the event. About $2 million in public funding was approved by state lawmakers, while the rest came from the Packers and private donations.

More than 600,000 people attended the three-day draft in Green Bay, and huge crowds are expected at the draft in Pittsburgh next month. The 2027 draft will likely be held at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

About 10 months ago, KSTP-TV's Darren Wolfson reported that Minnesota was pushing hard to host the draft in 2029.

"Speaking of the draft, 2029, that is the aim for the Vikings hosting the draft in downtown Minneapolis,"Wolfson said. "The Vikings are pushing very hard. 2029. It wouldn't be in Eagan. My understanding is it would be in downtown Minneapolis."

Hosting the draft could provide an economic boom to the state. The economic impact in Brown County, home to Green Bay, was estimated at $72.9 million, more than $50 million over the $20 million projection. Statewide, Wisconsin's economic impact was $104.7 million.

The NFL stopped holding the draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City after the 2015 event. Since then, the draft has been held in Chicago (twice), Philadelphia, Arlington, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Detroit, and Green Bay.

To host the draft, cities must submit a bid, which is then selected by a vote of the 32 NFL owners.

Minneapolis successfully hosted the Super Bowl in 2018 despite a frigid airmass swallowing Minnesota in early February. Fortunately, the weather is usually much nicer in the Twin Cities in late April.

History of NFL Draft host cities:

2027: Washington, D.C.
2026: Pittsburgh, PA
2025: Green Bay, WI
2024: Detroit, MI
2023: Kansas City, MO
2022: Las Vegas, NV
2021: Cleveland, OH
2020: Virtual (COVID pandemic)
2019: Nashville, TN
2018: Arlington, TX
2017: Philadelphia, PA
2016: Chicago, IL
2015: Chicago, IL
1965-2014: New York City, NY
1962-1964: Chicago, IL
1956-1961: Philadelphia, PA
1955: New York City, NY
1953-1954: Philadelphia, PA
1952: New York City, NY
1951: Chicago, IL
1949-1950: Philadelphia, PA
1948: Pittsburgh, PA
1945-1947: New York City, NY
1944: Philadelphia, PA
1942-1943: Chicago, IL
1941: Washington, DC
1940: Milwaukee, WI
1939: New York City, NY
1938: Chicago, IL
1937: New York City, NY
1936: Philadelphia, PA