New Highmark Stadium: Buffalo Bills’ Strategic Decision to Host the 2028 NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills plan to host the 2028 NFL Draft as they unveil plans for their new stadium.

Work is in full swing at New Highmark Stadium located in Orchard Park, a stone’s throw from their current home. The groundbreaking $1.7 billion project began in June 2023 and is expected to be operational in time for the 2026 season to kick off.

With plenty of time on their hands, the Bills are preparing to host the 2028 NFL Draft, provided the league gives them the green light. Pete Guelli, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Bills, remarked, “We have seen the success and growth of the draft in other markets.”

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Guelli added: “The draft is the type of opportunity that we are going to pursue as an organization, and we think the city of Buffalo would be absolutely perfect for this type of event. » He also mentioned that the team plans to throw its hat into the ring: “Our plan would be to express interest, and it’s competitive, there’s no guarantee it will work, but we want to follow that way.”

The Bills are set to submit an “expression of interest” note to the NFL, launching the attempt to bring the draft to Buffalo. Historically, the location of the draft was decided about two years before the event, judging by the last three sites chosen, the Mirror US reports.

For nearly half a century, the NFL Draft was a New York exclusive, with the Marriot Marquis hosting nine consecutive drafts from 1986 to 1994. The Theater at Madison Square Garden then took over the reins at the end of the 90s and early 2000s before Radio City Music. Hall became the venue from 2006 to 2014.

After that, the event started touring in various cities across the country. Last year, Detroit’s Campus Martius Park hosted the draft, welcoming more than 775,000 fans over three days. Green Bay is scheduled to host the event next year, with Pittsburgh taking over in 2026.

As of now, no team has had the honor of hosting the 2027 event. However, the Bills are hoping that their stadium, which will soon have a capacity of 67,000, can debut in the most spectacular possible.

New York’s current Highmark Stadium, with a capacity of 71,608, is planned to be demolished and replaced with parking spaces next to the new stadium.