Indianapolis has hosted the Combine since '87, but other cities are now trying to lure it awayGETTY IMAGES
The NFL Draft has been "on the minds of Indianapolis leaders for the past few years," but right now their top priority is "keeping the NFL Combine, which will be up for grabs after next year," according to Mickey Shuey of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. Indianapolis has hosted the Combine since '87, but it has "become a bigger tourism draw and other cities are trying to lure it away." Visit Indy Senior VP/Marketing & Communications Chris Gahl said, "It would be great if we could get both the combine and the draft ... but right now our focus is on keeping the combine." He said that Visit Indy "should know plans for the combine in the next month." Indianapolis was one of 12 cities who "sent representatives to the NFL Draft this year in Nashville." NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy said that Indianapolis "could be in a good position to earn the draft, but he noted there is extensive competition from across the league, including from cities like Cleveland and Kansas City that have previously bid on the event" (IBJ.com, 5/2). Gahl said, "We are hopefully optimistic that in the next months, the NFL will make a decision and the Combine will remain safe and sound in Indianapolis" (INDYSTAR.com, 5/2).
MUSIC CITY TO MOTOR CITY? Lions President Ron Wood said that the team and the city of Detroit "are in a 'holding pattern' with regard to hosting the draft." Wood: "It would be a great thing for the team to kind of show Michigan and the city of Detroit for what it really is. People that don’t come here don’t know how great it is. So I think it would be awesome." In Detroit, Carlos Monarrez noted the city "attempted to host" the '19 or '20 Drafts but was reportedly "eliminated from being a finalist" in February '18. In October '17, Wood had said that there also "would be interest in hosting" a Draft in '21-23 (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/1).
WANT THEIR SHOT: Vikings Exec VP/Public Affairs Lester Bagley said that the Twin Cities "remain in the mix to host an NFL draft." He added that there is also "interest in hosting the first game of the NFL season on a Thursday night, along with an NFL owners meeting." In St. Paul, Chris Tomasson wrote Twin Cities officials "also want to have another Super Bowl," but that would be "years away, if it were to happen at all." Bagley: "The league has made it clear there's more of a resort-city preference for the Super Bowl, and that's why it's more realistic that we can get other events that they want to rotate through the country" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 5/3).