This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the Green Bay Packers wanting to host the NFL Draft, but it appears they’re going to be making a strong push for 2019.
The draft, which has spent two years in Chicago, after 50 in New York, will be getting a new home in 2017. The locations for 2017 and 2018 have not been announced. Our bet was on Los Angeles, but Philadelphia now appears to be the frontrunner.
What we do know is Green Bay is not among the finalists.
Finalists haven’t been selected for 2019 yet, however. The Packers will make their push based on two things.
First, the team will be celebrating its 100th year of existence. Second, the Titletown District will be complete by then.
Chicago has utilized a great deal of park space for fan activity during the draft. The Titletown District is centered around a 10-acre park. Of course, that still pales in comparison to the 45 acres Chicago has utilized.
While Green Bay offers two attractive elements in the anniversary and expansion, it’s still a small town and thus, not ideal for a huge NFL event.
The league’s checklist for handing out events like the draft is as follows: market size, media market ranking, market attractiveness to sponsors, to media and to fans, and in-market support.
Green Bay fails in more of those categories than they pass.
Brown County has just 4,500 hotel rooms. Chicago claims they drew 200,000 people to the 2015 NFL Draft.
That sounds like a logistical nightmare for a city like Green Bay.
And that’s why we can’t see it happening.