Proposal in front of city council wants to give $1 million to VisitPittsburgh for 2026 NFL Draft

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — It’s still more than a year and a half before the NFL draft comes to Pittsburgh, but city leaders are trying to get their ducks in a row. 

A Pittsburgh City Council proposal wants to give $1 million to VisitPittsburgh to organize the draft efforts. District 9 Councilman Khari Mosley feels the money is an investment. He hopes the NFL draft, with its hundreds of thousands of fans, give the city a return on its investment.

The idea behind the bill is to let the city’s tourism bureau, VisitPittsburgh, handle what is expected to be one of the biggest tourist events the region has ever seen. According to VisitPittsburgh, this funding is one of the first steps in getting from the bid phase to building for the draft. Most building cost for the draft is incurred by the NFL.

“What they work with the host city on is a budget to really support lasting community impact for the draft,” VisitPittsburgh spokesperson Emily Hatfield said.

Councilman Mosley said this funding is best used by VisitPittsburgh as it is the tourism expert for the region. He said it does not have an exact source yet but said it won’t come from everyday services.

“I was assured prior to our council session that it’s not taking away from any city operations or city programs,” Councilman Mosley said.

With many city leaders expressing concerns over the city financial future, the councilman says the city has the money to do this. He feels making this investment to better the event not only could better the community but also help create more of a financial return with the draft.

“This event is going to bring millions and millions of dollars back to the city. So, I think this is an event we are going to get a considerable return on,” Councilman Mosley said.

VisitPittsburgh said some of the work being done for the draft will hopefully create lasting impacts for the city, including green spaces, infrastructure improvements and working with small businesses.

Being 18 months out, much of it is still in development.

“While you might not see the visible impacts of those plans just yet, know there is a lot of work and progress behind the scenes,” Hatfield said.

Councilman Mosley plans to meet with other council members to figure out where this money is coming from.