NFL roundup: Minneapolis to host 2028 draft; Nashville gets 2030 Super Bowl

The Twin Cities were chosen to host the event on Tuesday at the meeting of franchise owners in Orlando, the culmination of what Vikings president and CEO Mark Wilf described as a “terrific opportunity.” Minnesota hosted the Super Bowl in February 2018 and becomes the final NFC North division team to be chosen as the draft stage.

“Minnesota knows how to show up for big moments, and we’ve experienced it firsthand,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Tuesday. “Working with the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Sports and Events, we look forward to bringing the 2028 NFL Draft to this great community, driving positive economic impact throughout the region, and hosting an incredible event for fans and the next generation of the NFL.”

The 2026 draft took place in Pittsburgh last month, with the 2027 event scheduled for the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Wilf and the draft host city planning committee noted events will be held outside of downtown Minneapolis, where U.S. Bank Stadium is located. A portion of the event will take place near the team’s headquarters and practice facility and at other spots to be determined within the Twin Cities.

“For three days, Minnesota will become the center of the football world,” Wilf said. “The 2028 NFL Draft will give us an opportunity to showcase not just U.S. Bank Stadium, but the energy, hospitality and pride that define Minneapolis-St. Paul and the entire state and region. We have no doubt the community will deliver a world-class event that is unique to Minnesota.”

The NFL conducted the annual draft in New York until opting to take the show on the road in 2015. The extremely popular road show changes locations each year.

Since then, the draft has been held in the home cities of 10 franchises: the Bears, Eagles, Cowboys, Titans, Browns, Raiders, Chiefs, Lions, Packers and Steelers.

The 2020 draft was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pittsburgh set the record for largest total attendance in NFL draft history with 805,000 attendees over three days from April 23-25. Organizers in Washington, D.C., have said they expect a crowd of more than 1 million people.

Cincinnati is reportedly the leading contender to host the 2029 NFL Draft.

Nashville officially to host 2030 Super Bowl

The honky-tonks will be packed to the rafters when the Super Bowl comes to Nashville in 2030.

NFL owners officially approved Nashville as the site for Super Bowl LXIV, which is scheduled to be played in February of 2030. The game will take place at the Tennessee Titans’ new stadium, which is currently under construction.

It is the first time Tennessee’s largest city will play host to the NFL’s championship game.

The vote on Tuesday during the NFL Spring League Meeting at Orlando, Fla., was conducted with a full representation of ownership.

“Music City,” as it is known, turned out fans in droves for the 2019 NFL Draft, setting what was then an attendance record for the event.

“The 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville was one of the greatest fan events in our history,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a release. “Super Bowl LXIV at the new stadium is the next step in this remarkable football journey. … We can’t wait to put on an unforgettable show in 2030.”

The new Nissan Stadium is a $2.1 billion, fully enclosed, 60,000-seat venue on the Cumberland River. The structure will feature an innovative cable-net ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof and is scheduled to open by February 2027.

“This is an exciting moment for our city and our entire state,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “We cannot wait for our community to experience an event of this magnitude and for the world to see the energy, hospitality, and culture that make our city so special on a global stage.”

A country-music themed halftime show would be a natural for a city whose downtown bars have no shortage of acts specializing in the genre. Nashville is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as the Grand Ole Opry.

“This event is an incredible opportunity to showcase the dynamic and creative character … that is distinctly Music City, where music, sports, culture, and hospitality come together in a way few cities can match,” Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. president & CEO Deana Ivey said.

Teams constructing new stadiums have frequently been under consideration for hosting the Super Bowl, with Detroit, East Rutherford, N.J., and Minneapolis cracking the typical warm-weather city rotation in recent years.

In February 2027, Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium is hosting the Super Bowl for the second time. In March, the NFL announced Las Vegas as the host city in 2029 for the second time since Allegiant Stadium was constructed. Atlanta hosts in 2028.

NFL approves 10 international games

NFL owners approved on Tuesday a maximum of 10 league-run international regular-season games per season, an increase from eight annually, starting as soon as 2027.

“There’s a path to 10 (international games) in 2027,” executive vice president of club business, international and league events Peter O’Reilly said from the NFL’s spring league meeting in Orlando, Fla.

The owners also voted to take away a team’s ability to protect two home games from international play. That should make it less complicated to construct the schedule.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said the goal is 16 international games, which could lead to at least one such game per team in a given season. The league can play as many as 10 games outside the United States, according to the collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association.

The 2026 schedule has a record nine international games – eight run by the league and one in London after an agreement between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Wembley Stadium. The Jaguars have consecutive games in London, including one as the home team, while EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville is undergoing renovations.

O’Reilly said that the exception made for nine games this season “shows the momentum and I think the support for the model we have” and he could see a future with 16 international games in one season.

The 2026 slate features games across four continents, including first-time host countries France (Paris) and Australia (Melbourne). Rio de Janeiro is a host city for the first time, while other games with be in London (three), Munich (one), Madrid (one) and Mexico City (one).

O’Reilly said that Asian markets such as Japan could be future sites, but probably not as soon as 2027.

“Our strategy is not one and done,” O’Reilly said. “Our goal is to go back to those markets that we’re establishing.”

A Super Bowl at an international site is not a priority at this time, he said.

Brad Holmes said the Lions were motivated in the draft by missing the playoffs: ‘That might be the kick in the rear’

Bob Wojnowski asks Brad Holmes about how the 2026 draft compared to other drafts.