Minnesota is looking to complete the NFC North cycle in hosting the NFL Draft. Chicago hosted the event in 2015 and 2016, Detroit followed in 2024, and Green Bay did the same in 2025. That leaves Minnesota as the only NFC North city yet to host it. That, however, may not be the case for much longer.

On Wednesday, Minnesota Sports and Events announced it has officially submitted a bid to host the 2028 NFL Draft, in partnership with U.S. Bank Stadium and the Minnesota Vikings. The move comes less than a month before Pittsburgh is set to host the 2026 draft.

For a broader context, the league typically selects host cities two years in advance. Last year, the NFL awarded Washington, D.C., the 2027 draft. That timing puts Minnesota in a realistic position for 2028.

Given that pattern, a decision could come soon. The NFL usually announces future host cities during its spring and summer ownership meetings. The next meetings are scheduled for March 29 in Phoenix and May 19 in Orlando. The selection process, meanwhile, is straightforward. Cities submit bids, and all 32 NFL owners review and vote on the final decision.

Vikings owner Mark Wilf has been pushing for this for years. As he said last year:

“We certainly have been working with the Minnesota events group and the NFL to put our community out there to make sure we can get a draft. We’ve shown we can do big events. It’ll be an outstanding venue when we get it, we’re working very hard to get it here.”

While multiple hosting options were proposed, U.S. Bank Stadium is expected to serve as the central venue for the three-day event. And if the bid goes through, it would not be unfamiliar territory. Minnesota Sports and Events and the Vikings previously worked together on the successful bid for the Super Bowl in early 2018.

From a financial standpoint, the Vikings are committing both funding and staff support to strengthen the proposal. They have also brought in backing from local business leaders, including Christophe Beck of Ecolab, Gunjan Kedia of U.S. Bank, and Geoff Martha of Medtronic.

So when you look at the timeline, the rotation is already in motion. Detroit hosted in 2024, Green Bay in 2025, Pittsburgh is up next, and Washington, D.C. follows in 2027. Now, Minnesota has positioned itself for 2028.

And if the bid goes through, it will finally join the list of host cities for one of the league’s biggest events for the first time in over 90 years. At the same time, it would carry added significance for Minnesota, considering it has hosted just a few major drafts across leagues, dating back to the 1952 NBA Draft, along with a few instances of the NHL Draft, most recently in 2011 at St. Paul.

Economic impact if Minnesota hosts the 2028 NFL draft

The NFL Draft, now one of the league’s biggest events, did not always look like this. The first edition took place back in 1936 in Philadelphia. From 1965 to 2014, it stayed rooted in New York City. That changed in 2015 when Chicago became the first city in decades to host it outside New York. Since then, the league has taken the draft on the road. Here is a look at the last ten host cities:

• 2025: Green Bay, WI
• 2024: Detroit, MI
• 2023: Kansas City, MO
• 2022: Las Vegas, NV
• 2021: Cleveland, OH
• 2020: Virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• 2019: Nashville, TN
• 2018: Arlington, TX
• 2017: Philadelphia, PA
• 2016: Chicago, IL
• 2015: Chicago, IL

With that rotation in mind, the Vikings now have a chance to join the list for the first time in 92 years, which would make Minnesota the fourth NFC North city to host the event in 2028. If that happens, Wendy Blackshaw, MNSE president/CEO, believes the economic impact could exceed $100 million.

“There is a significant interest in this event,” Blackshaw said, “especially an event of this scale. It would be amazing.”

And recent history backs that up. Detroit drew more than 750,000 fans from all 50 states and 20 countries for the 2024 draft, generating an estimated $213.5 million in economic impact. Green Bay followed that with over 600,000 attendees and more than $100 million flowing into the city.

So at this point, the groundwork is in place. Minnesota Sports and Events has formally submitted its bid for 2028. Now it comes down to the decision. And that answer is expected within the next few months.