The Green Bay Packers and their fans have been playing the waiting game this offseason as the team stands by for MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to decide his future. RodgersWatch may reach its finale as soon as this week. Many believe the future Hall of Famer will announce his plans soon.
But the powers that be in Green Bay are waiting for other news. Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy told the media today that Green Bay is one of three finalist cities to host the 2024 NFL Draft (along with Detroit and Washington D.C.). Murphy said the league will decide before the end of March.
It comes on the tail of news the Packers will finally play their first game overseas in London. A busy day for the tourism and marketing sides of the team, indeed. While the NFL has yet to make a decision, hosting the draft in Green Bay would be a tremendous boon for the Packers, the city of Green Bay, and the fans.
The NFL draft has mostly taken place in larger cities. The NFL held it exclusively in New York from 1965 to 2014. The league opened up the idea of bringing the draft to fans across the country in 2015 when it relocated the event to Chicago, which hosted the draft back in 1964. Since then, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Nashville have had a turn as hosts. Vegas was supposed to reveal their new stadium and host the event in 2020, but the NFL canceled it due to COVID.
The league branched out from major US markets in 2021, when the proud city of Cleveland hosted the draft. Cleveland is a beautiful city with a lot to offer, but it’s treated as a punching bag nationally. The 2021 draft was Cleveland’s chance to show off its sights and share Midwestern hospitality on the big stage.
Cleveland held the draft over the lawns of FirstEnergy Stadium, the Great Lakes Science Center, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Over 160,000 fans braved inclement weather to attend the festivities. As a Cleveland resident, it was a blast to see my city host the event and show visitors what the city offers.
A record-breaking 600,000 fans packed the 2019 NFL draft in Nashville. The previous high came in 2017, as 250,000 fans filled the streets of Philadelphia. So while the numbers in Cleveland weren’t nearly as high as Nashville’s, the 2021 Draft was the first since the start of the COVID pandemic and was comparable to the numbers of previous drafts. The draft was a massive success for Cleveland and favorably put the city on the map. Cleveland would go on to host the NBA All-Star game in 2022. Traffic was rough, per my roommate.
The Cleveland draft shows that a small-market team like Green Bay can host a successful and exciting draft. It would be a fantastic opportunity for the city of Green Bay to show what it has to offer fans beyond the Packers, while also offering a chance to share some of the team’s history. Most casual fans know the Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers eras, but a trip to Green Bay can highlight how rich and vibrant the team’s history is going back over 100 years.
Green Bay is viewed as a difficult market for attracting marquee free agents compared to bigger-city teams in Los Angeles and New York. A closer look at the city and a live look at how passionate the fanbase is might change that perspective.
When news broke that the Packers will give up a home game to play in London was polarizing for many fans, who lament the lost economic boost every home game means for the city. Hosting the draft is an ideal opportunity to recoup that lost opportunity. The draft is a big enough event that people will attend regardless of location. That’s a lot of consumers!
The challenges Green Bay will face as a potential host would be in terms of lodging and transportation. As the smallest NFL city, Green Bay’s amenities will be compared to larger cities. But Mark Murphy has been passionately advocating to host the draft for years, and the success of the Titletown District shows the team’s commitment to marketing and tourism. There’s a plan in place, and Green Bay is absolutely ready to host the event.
The city of Green Bay is a wonderful town beyond its football team. Hosting the draft there is an ideal marketing opportunity for the NFL and the city itself. The 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland showed that a smaller, Midwestern market can succeed, and the exposure can lead to more events down the road. The NFL should take a bet on one of its most impactful and historical cities to host the event. It’s called Titletown, after all.
