Pittsburgh to Serve as Host City for 2026 NFL Draft | Local News, Sports, and Employment Opportunities

The NFL has announced that the city of Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft, with the Steelers eager to showcase Pennsylvania’s rich football history. The decision was made during the NFL spring meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, where league officials reviewed the bid and selected Pittsburgh as the host city.

The three-day draft event will take place at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh owner Art Rooney II expressed excitement about the opportunity to host the draft, following in the footsteps of cities like Detroit and Kansas City that set high standards for hosting the event.

With a record-breaking attendance of over 775,000 fans at the 2024 draft in Detroit, the NFL is expecting another successful event in Pittsburgh. Rooney believes that hosting the draft will attract football fans from all over the country, including the loyal Steelers fanbase.

Players like Christian Kunitz and Pat Freiermuth, both Pittsburgh natives, are thrilled about the prospect of the draft coming to their city. Kunitz highlighted the significance of bringing such a major event to Pittsburgh, while Freiermuth emphasized the positive impact it will have on local businesses and the city’s economy.

The NFL began rotating the draft location in 2015, moving away from its long-standing tradition of hosting the event in New York. Pittsburgh will join a prestigious list of host cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas, as it prepares to welcome football fans from around the country for the 2026 NFL Draft.