Vikes submit bid to host 28 draft...
In 2028, it will have been 10 years since U.S. Bank Stadium hosted Super Bowl LII. The Vikings are hoping to bring another major event to the stadium a decade after the Super Bowl.
The team and Minnesota Sports and Events submitted a bid for the 2028 NFL draft earlier this month. Minneapolis-St. Paul is one of several NFL markets bidding for the draft, which could bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area during the three-day event in late April.
Lester Bagley, the Vikings’ executive vice president of public affairs, said the team has been trying to bring the draft to the Twin Cities since 2019. The 2028 bid would feature U.S. Bank Stadium as the “anchor” of the draft weekend in downtown Minneapolis, Bagley said. The draft proposal would feature events in both cities, as well as the Mall of America and the Viking Lakes development around the team’s Eagan headquarters, MSE executive vice president of business development and tourism Matt Meunier said.
The late-April date for the draft could mean a dicey weather forecast for outdoor events in Minnesota, but Meunier pointed to recent NFL drafts in Green Bay, Detroit and Kansas City as evidence the possibility of a cold Midwestern weekend wouldn’t scare off draft visitors.
“The league definitely wants us to lean into U.S. Bank Stadium, so we proposed options,” Meunier said. “We can turn to similar markets, similar climates that have hosted outdoors. Obviously, Green Bay’s was very successful last year. So, the exact location of a lot of those sites is still to be determined.”
This year’s draft is April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
Meunier said the 2024 NFL draft brought fans from all 50 states and 20 countries to Detroit, delivering an estimated $213 million of economic impact to the area as 775,000 fans attended the draft over three days. Last year’s draft in Green Bay brought $104 million of economic impact to the area, Meunier said, with 600,000 fans attending.
The committee would not share details about fundraising requirements for the bid because the market is still in competition to land the draft, but Wendy Blackshaw, MSE’s president and CEO, said the draft “will need to be funded primarily through corporate support,” adding the committee has contacted business leaders throughout the state asking for financial support.
Ecolab President and CEO Christophe Beck, U.S. Bank President and CEO Gunjan Kedia, and Medtronic Chairman and CEO Jeff Martha are all honorary co-chairs of the committee, as is Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf.
If the NFL doesn’t pick the Twin Cities for the 2028 draft, the leaders behind the bid would continue to petition for future drafts.
“In talking to other draft cities that have hosted, often times it does take multiple attempts to secure future drafts,” Meunier said. “And so certainly if 2028 doesn’t work out, we would need to pivot to a future year. We’d try to figure out what is the earliest available year, because we do want to bring this event to our community. It would be a massive, massive impact. So, we’re focused on ‘28 now, and we’ll just wait until the league tells us otherwise.”
After hosting the Super Bowl in 2018, U.S. Bank Stadium was the site of the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in 2019 and has had events like the X Games and NCAA Division I wrestling championships, with WWE’s SummerSlam event scheduled for early August 2026 at the stadium. But a bid for the 2020 CFP national championship game fell short, and Blackshaw said MSE is the only sports commission of its kind in the country without a permanent funding model for major events.
“It puts us, frankly, at a significant disadvantage when we are bidding on these major events,” she said.
The NFL has typically announced draft sites in early May, so the 2028 announcement could come within the next several weeks.
STRIB
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Don't really see the appeal of attending a draft, but I hope Minnesota gets what they want.
It's wild to me that the draft has gone from a non-televised, barely even written about weekday thing to a prime time party televised by two networks, attended by thousands and watched by millions. The NFL draft, a non-game event in the offseason, now routinely draws more than the championship events in any other sport, including the NBA finals and World Series. That's nuts.
i find it odd that they havent made a bid for another super bowl before their facility loses its luster to the other newer facilities and warmer climates.
Why isn't Chuck Foreman in the Hall of Fame?
JimmyinSD wrote:
i find it odd that they havent made a bid for another super bowl before their facility loses its luster to the other newer facilities and warmer climates.
I think that was a one time deal unfortunately.
kmillard wrote:
I think that was a one time deal unfortunately.
I dont know why that would be, the league has come off their "warm" weather sites only policy and it hasnt bitten them in the ass yet, might as well get Minny back in the running for another.
Recent and Future Super Bowl Sites
Feb 13, 2022 (LVI): SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Feb 12, 2023 (LVII): State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Feb 11, 2024 (LVIII): Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 9, 2025 (LIX): Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Feb 8, 2026 (LX): Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Feb 14, 2027 (LXI): SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Feb 13, 2028 (LXII): Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Recent Hosting History (2015–2021)
2021: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
2020: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
2019: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
2018: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
2017: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
2016: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
2015: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Most Frequent Host Sites
Miami/South Florida: 11 times
New Orleans, Louisiana: 11 times
Los Angeles Area: 8 times
Tampa, Florida: 5 times
Phoenix/Glendale, Arizona: 4 times
Why isn't Chuck Foreman in the Hall of Fame?
The traveling draft is nice because it allows many, many more fans to attend which is cool. But the draft day experience was definitely peak when it started on Saturday morning around 10am and the fans would pile into Radio City Music Hall.
If Minnesota gets the draft it could be a fun excuse for me to visit. Even better if the Twins are in town.
MaroonBells wrote:
Don't really see the appeal of attending a draft, but I hope Minnesota gets what they want.It's wild to me that the draft has gone from a non-televised, barely even written about weekday thing to a prime time party televised by two networks, attended by thousands and watched by millions. The NFL draft, a non-game event in the offseason, now routinely draws more than the championship events in any other sport, including the NBA finals and World Series. That's nuts.
My wife runs the Music City marathon. Its the same weekend as the draft. I was up cheering her on during the draft that was in Nashville a few years back. It has nothing to do with attending the draft. It was just a massive NFL party downtown. Super fun.
ESPN, Mel Kiper and Chris Berman really are the ones who are responsible for what it is today. They made it an event.
Personally, it has become one my favorite events of the year. I usually take off that Friday and give myself permission to do nothing for 3 days but navigate through all my draft guides so I can get upset about all our draft picks! :)
I hope we get it...It's been tough in MN the last few years and the city/state could use some sunshine & fun.
Been too dark with Federal Surges, Senators and their families gunned down in their homes in the middle of the night, kids gunned down praying in schools and more...
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
purplefaithful wrote:
I hope we get it...It's been tough in MN the last few years and the city/state could use some sunshine & fun.Been too dark with Federal Surges, Senators and their families gunned down in their homes in the middle of the night, kids gunned down praying in schools and more...
its the perpetual black eye that may keep MN from getting it, if the league thinks it may be too hot of a situation and that it may keep people away... maybe they dont want to risk it being a bust and will prefer to table it until Minny can show some stability again?
Why isn't Chuck Foreman in the Hall of Fame?
JimmyinSD wrote:
its the perpetual black eye that may keep MN from getting it, if the league thinks it may be too hot of a situation and that it may keep people away... maybe they dont want to risk it being a bust and will prefer to table it until Minny can show some stability again?
I disagree....I think the disadvantage traces to the fact that the state doesnt have a formal financial mechanism for funding the city/state responsibilities for such events.
I heard Detroit raked in over $200mm from hosting the draft. But there were city/state costs associated with it that had formalized funding mechanisms to cover those costs. That was high level of re-assurance for the event people decision makers.
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Lester Bagley, the Vikings’ executive vice president of public affairs, said the team has been trying to bring the draft to the Twin Cities since 2019. The 2028 bid would feature U.S. Bank Stadium as the “anchor” of the draft weekend in downtown Minneapolis, Bagley said. The draft proposal would feature events in both cities, as well as the Mall of America and the Viking Lakes development around the team’s Eagan headquarters, said Matt Meunier, MSE’s executive vice president of business development and tourism.
The late-April date for the draft could mean a dicey weather forecast for outdoor events in Minnesota, but Meunier pointed to recent NFL drafts in Green Bay, Detroit and Kansas City as evidence the possibility of a cold Midwestern weekend wouldn’t scare off draft visitors.
“The league definitely wants us to lean into U.S. Bank Stadium, so we proposed options,” Meunier said. “We can turn to similar markets, similar climates that have hosted outdoors. Obviously, Green Bay’s was very successful last year. So, the exact location of a lot of those sites is still to be determined.”
This year’s draft is April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
Meunier said the 2024 NFL draft brought fans from all 50 states and 20 countries to Detroit, delivering an estimated $213 million of economic impact to the area as 775,000 fans attended the draft over three days. Last year’s draft in Green Bay brought $104 million of economic impact to the area, Meunier said, with 600,000 fans attending.
The committee would not share details about fundraising requirements for the bid because the market is still in competition to land the draft, but Wendy Blackshaw, MSE’s president and CEO, said the draft “will need to be funded primarily through corporate support,” adding the committee has contacted business leaders throughout the state asking for financial support.
STRIB
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
JimmyinSD wrote:
I dont know why that would be, the league has come off their "warm" weather sites only policy and it hasnt bitten them in the ass yet, might as well get Minny back in the running for another.
Recent and Future Super Bowl Sites
Feb 13, 2022 (LVI): SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Feb 12, 2023 (LVII): State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Feb 11, 2024 (LVIII): Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 9, 2025 (LIX): Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Feb 8, 2026 (LX): Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Feb 14, 2027 (LXI): SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Feb 13, 2028 (LXII): Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GeorgiaRecent Hosting History (2015–2021)
2021: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
2020: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
2019: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
2018: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
2017: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
2016: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
2015: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, ArizonaMost Frequent Host Sites
Miami/South Florida: 11 times
New Orleans, Louisiana: 11 times
Los Angeles Area: 8 times
Tampa, Florida: 5 times
Phoenix/Glendale, Arizona: 4 times
Lol, I had to read this like 3 times before I accepted it as sarcasm
If Las Vegas can get a SB, after the mass shooting they had, or if they’re going to host it in the various CA cities everyone is fleeing because they’re sick of stepping over passed out addicts and getting their cars broken into on a weekly basis, I don’t think the league’s going to rule us out for a draft or whatever.
We’re not getting another SB, because it’s cold here, but I imagine the draft is still in play.
medaille wrote:
Lol, I had to read this like 3 times before I accepted it as sarcasm
If Las Vegas can get a SB, after the mass shooting they had, or if they’re going to host it in the various CA cities everyone is fleeing because they’re sick of stepping over passed out addicts and getting their cars broken into on a weekly basis, I don’t think the league’s going to rule us out for a draft or whatever.
We’re not getting another SB, because it’s cold here, but I imagine the draft is still in play.
no it wasnt sarcasm, but valid point on the league not taking the political shit ( pun intended) into account.
Why isn't Chuck Foreman in the Hall of Fame?
They gave us a SB, because it was part of the under the table deal in getting us a new stadium. We pony up the money for a new stadium, and we get it all back in the tourist money, or something like that.
Once whatever deal they had was satisfied, they aren’t coming back in February for a SB. People paying thousands of dollars for the privilege of a SB don't want to come here. A draft in April? That’s very doable. It’s probably nice enough out, and it’s mostly just rubes anyway. I’d imagine that all us northern teams that are ruled out of getting a SB are probably going to be shoehorned in for the draft.
medaille wrote:
Lol, I had to read this like 3 times before I accepted it as sarcasm
If Las Vegas can get a SB, after the mass shooting they had, or if they’re going to host it in the various CA cities everyone is fleeing because they’re sick of stepping over passed out addicts and getting their cars broken into on a weekly basis, I don’t think the league’s going to rule us out for a draft or whatever.
Lol! Yes, I have lived in CA for over 30 years and that is how we stay in shape by jumping over people passed out everywhere :D One of most beautiful and diverse states, but yeah, whatever!
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