Shapiro says Pittsburgh is ready for the NFL Draft in April

Pittsburgh, PA – With the NFL Draft set to return to the Steel City for the first time since 1947, Governor Josh Shapiro declared on Monday that Pennsylvania’s second-largest city is fully prepared to welcome an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 visitors when the three-day event kicks off April 23.

“Man, I’m so pumped,” Shapiro told reporters at a Pittsburgh press conference tied to a state tax-credit initiative. “It’s going to be unbelievable.”

The governor credited months of coordination among his office, Steelers President Art Rooney II, and civic partners for securing the draft, which will be staged around Acrisure Stadium. PublicSource reports that local government and a publicly funded nonprofit have committed nearly $19 million toward staging the event, while projections from VisitPittsburgh place potential economic impact for the region between $120 million and $213 million.

“I want the public to know we are ready and we are prepared,” Shapiro said. “We’re working closely with our law-enforcement partners at every level—local, state, and federal—to ensure that everyone has a safe time and a fun time.”

Operational preparations are already visible citywide. The first of six planned road-closure phases near the stadium is active, and Pittsburgh Regional Transit has partnered with Sheetz to offer free rides on the T’s red, blue, and silver lines, as well as on the Monongahela Incline, from April 23-25. Butler Transit Authority has released its own service plan, while Pittsburgh Public Schools will shift to remote instruction April 22-24 to ease traffic congestion.

Shapiro emphasized that the draft offers more than a short-term boost. “We’re also going to have an opportunity here to showcase Pennsylvania for tourists,” he said. “We want them to come and have a great time at the draft. We also want them to come back.”

The 2017 draft in Philadelphia, the last time Pennsylvania hosted, drew 250,000 attendees from 42 states and generated an estimated $95 million in economic activity. Pittsburgh officials are aiming to surpass those totals.

The April draft launches a marquee year of major sporting events across the state, including the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in May, six FIFA World Cup matches at Lincoln Financial Field in June with ancillary fan zones in Reading, Scranton, and Pittsburgh, and July’s MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.