Indianapolis and the NFL's current contract runs through '20, although there is an opt-out clauseGetty Images
The NFL Combine has been held in Indianapolis since '87, and it "appears that will be the case at least the next two years," according to Mike Chappell of Indianapolis-based WXIN-Fox. The decision on the desk of Indianapolis-based National Football Scouting President Jeff Foster "makes one thing crystal clear: There’s no place like home." Foster: "When I think about what we’ve accomplished in the last five days with the help of our partners in the city, I wouldn’t want to try to do it anywhere else. I think everybody is really happy and really comfortable here in Indianapolis." The current contract with the city runs through '20, although there is an "opt-out clause." Foster said, "We are committed for ’19, and in a few short weeks we’ll be locked in for ’20 as well." The Combine has become a "media magnet: approximately 1,300 credentials were issued this year." When talking with GMs and coaches, Foster "routinely emphasizes the 'smooth operation' of the Combine in all facets, including the convenience of everything being downtown." Perhaps the city’s "most valuable resource in operating an efficient Combine is the presence of medical partner IU Health." Every "imaginable medical need, including unexpected exams, is with 10- or 15-minute drive." Yet it is "hardly a given the Combine remains a fixture on the city’s calendar." In fact, the quality of the product "churned out by Foster and his army of aides and corporate partners, and the NFL’s increased focus on fan engagement might actually work against Indy." Saturday, the NFL Combine Experience "resulted in approximately 6,000 fans being on hand at Lucas Oil Stadium." Foster: "Three times as much as we we’ve ever had. It was a great event. We’re going to continue to build on that." Recently, speculation has "increased on the possibility of relocating the Combine" to L.A., or even Las Vegas. The earliest the Combine could "relocate to the West Coast" probably would be '21 or '22 (FOX59.com, 3/4).
WHY WOULD YOU WANNA LEAVE? THE MMQB's Peter King writes of the NFL Combine possibly leaving Indianapolis, "I come to this event, year after year, and see the proximity and the central location and the incredible convenience, and I think, Can the NFL really care about making what will be, in the end, a couple hundred thousand per team, max, by moving the combine?" And can the NFL "really think that will be better for football?" King: "It won't be. But I doubt that will matter. It rarely does" (SI.com, 3/5). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio cited a source as saying that the NFL "realizes the value" of possibly airing the NFL Combine in primetime "when more people are watching." Airing the workouts on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night would "definitely generate bigger TV numbers than morning and early afternoon sessions" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 3/4).
