Buffalo Bills considering bid to host 2028 NFL Draft

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Weeks after 775,000 football fans flooded Detroit for the NFL Draft, the wheels are turning at One Bills Drive where Buffalo Bills executives say they are considering applying to become the host of the 2028 NFL Draft.

TO CATCH UP:

• Buffalo Bills want to host 2028 NFL Draft
• The new Bills stadium is expected to open in 2026
• Detroit hosted the draft last April and saw record attendance
• Detroit estimates draft impact at $200 million
• Green Bay to host next year’s draft, Pittsburgh in 2026

According to The Buffalo News, which spoke with Pete Guelli, the team’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, the Bills see the impact a draft can have on a community and they want a large scale for their new stadium. The Buffalo Bills later confirmed this with 7 News.

Buffalo Bills/Popular

“We have seen the success and growth of the draft in other markets,” Guelli told the Buffalo News. The draft “is the kind of opportunity that we’re going to pursue as an organization, and we think the city of Buffalo would be absolutely perfect for this type of event.”

The Bills are building a new stadium across from the current Highmark Stadium. The new facility is estimated to cost $1.7 billion and is expected to be open for the 2026 NFL season, giving the Bills time to prepare for the 2028 NFL Draft.

In April, the NFL set a record with 775,000 fans attending the 2024 draft in Detroit.

“My dreams were overshadowed by the reality of the event,” Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, told 7 News anchor Jeff Russo, “We’re looking at an economic impact well over $200 million “.

Molinari says the influx of visitors and money to Detroit has been a huge boost to downtown restaurants, businesses and hotels.

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“Certainly Thursday night of the draft was the highest revenue we’ve ever had in terms of hotel revenue,” Molinari said. “We were approaching 95 percent occupancy, which was a huge advantage for us.”

Green Bay will host the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field in 2025 and Pittsburgh will host it at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium in 2026.

“I think it’s a wonderful validation for your destination when the National Football League chooses to host one of its signature events in your city,” Molinari said. “I think it’s something that Buffalo should definitely aspire to, and I will support it.”

The draft was held annually in New York between 1965 and 2014. The league began holding the event in other cities, starting with Chicago in 2015.