CINCINNATI — Could Cincinnati host the NFL Draft in the near future?
According to a report by Sports Business Journal's Ben Fischer, it's possible.
Washington, D.C., is already set to host next year's draft at the National Mall. And Friday, Fischer reported Minneapolis-St. Paul is a "clear favorite" to secure hosting rights for the 2028 NFL Draft.
While the NFL events committee is set to meet next week to discuss the topic and is expected to vote later this month, Fischer reported the league may look to award two drafts at the same time or in a "relatively short order."
Fischer said "numerous sources" say if that's the case, Cincinnati has the "inside track" for the 2029 NFL Draft.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show that the league will "probably have to start allocating drafts a little further in advance."
But as much as we'd love to see the draft in the Queen City for the first time, nothing is final.
Before the 2026 NFL Draft, we spoke to Ben Huffman, executive director of the Cincinnati Regional Sports Commission, who said the city has proven it can host major events.
"I think we have the backdrop and the footprint, you know, and the ability to do an event of that size," Huffman said. "But again, that's kind of the research we're looking at now, like, what did those cities do to put themselves in a position to host it?"
The NFL Draft isn't just about one venue; it takes an entire city working together. The big question now is whether Cincinnati can show the NFL it has what it takes.
"Specifically looking at the NFL draft in Pittsburgh and how they did it, what worked, what didn't, to see as we promote ourselves as a possible host someday in the future, you know how to, how to kind of position ourselves that way," Huffman said.
