There are no confirmed reports of the Super Bowl returning to Minneapolis soon. But the Minnesota Vikings are closing in on hosting another major NFL event — the NFL Draft.
Sports Business Journal’s Ben Fischer reported Thursday the Vikings are the “clear favorites” to host the event in two years.
Fischer added in his report the NFL’s events committee could announce Minneapolis’s successful NFL Draft bid at a league events committee scheduled for May 19-20 in Orlando.
The Vikings and Minnesota Sports and Events placed a bid to the league in March to host the draft. Fischer wrote it’s the team and committee’s plan to “make U.S. Bank Stadium the center of the draft weekend, with events also in St. Paul, the Mall of America and the Viking Lakes development around the team’s Egan HQ.”
Minnesota has never hosted the NFL Draft.
Vikings Favorites to Host 2028 NFL Draft: Report
For almost the first 50 years of the Super Bowl era, the league only held the NFL Draft in New York City. But since 2015, the NFL has begun moving around its draft to different locations.
Major cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Arlington hosted the event first. Other tourist destinations like Nashville and Las Vegas have also held the draft over the past decade.
Less prominent tourist destinations have also begun playing host. Since 2021, Cleveland, Kansas City, Detroit and Green Bay have all held the NFL Draft.
This year, the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the draft. It was the first time the league held the event in Pittsburgh since December 1947.
Minneapolis should be a natural place for the NFL’s biggest offseason event. The city has previously hosted the Super Bowl twice. It’s also held other major events such as the Men’s Final Four in College Basketball.
The Final Four was at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2019.
Next year, the Washington Commanders will host the NFL Draft at the National Mall in Washington D.C. The league has yet to announce any host cities for the draft after 2027.
Fischer wrote the league could announce the host cities for the 2028 and 2029 NFL Drafts at the same time this May. The Sports Business Journal reporter mentioned Cincinnati as a candidate in 2029.
NFL Draft Attendance Records
Pittsburgh set a high bar for Minneapolis and other future draft host cities to reach.
Last week, Pittsburgh set a new all-time draft attendance record. The NFL announced 805,000 fans attended the event over three days.
The city also broke attendance records for the first round on Thursday and the first two days of the draft. The 2026 NFL Draft had as many attendants in the first two days as the drafts in Green Bay and Nashville had overall.
Detroit held the previous overall record of 775,000 people at the 2024 NFL Draft.
The league’s draft seems to get bigger and bigger every year. If the city hosts the event in two years, Minneapolis could have the opportunity to break Pittsburgh’s record.
Should the Vikings host, the 2028 NFL Draft will also be exciting based on how many selections the home team has.
It’s still two years away, but the Vikings currently own all of their selections in 2028.
Vikings ‘Clear Favorite’ to Host Major Upcoming NFL Event: Report