In the meantime, there is a lot of work to be done, and
that’s why the Pittsburgh Steelers invited a delegation of regional county
commissioners to attend an NFL Draft Briefing & Brainstorming Session at Acrisure
Stadium.
As a Washington County Commissioner and a member of the
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, I was honored to attend this planning
meeting. The draft is the second biggest event in the NFL next to the
Super Bowl and that's why the NFL want all hands-on deck in Southwestern
Pennsylvania. The SPC, which works with local, state and federal partners to
plan for the continued growth of our region, is working to make that
happen.
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| In the Steelers' locker room with Armstrong County Commissioner Pat Fabian. |
We learned that participation from the surrounding counties is important, because the NFL Draft, which is free, will attract over 700,000 people from around the world to the Greater Pittsburgh area. And while Pittsburgh will be the epicenter, the event is expected to spill over into Washington and surrounding counties. As a result, we need to prepare for the thousands of fans that will be staying in our hotels, dining in our restaurants, shopping in our stores, using our businesses, and visiting our casino and other venues.
In addition to this deluge of visitors, more than 50 million
viewers worldwide will watch the draft on television. The economic impact will
be more than $213 million dollars. In 2024, Detroit,
MI, benefited from this NFL Draft, and this year the benefactor will be Green
Bay, WI.
The current plan for the Pittsburgh draft is to set up a
main stage in front of Acrisure Stadium, facing the Allegheny River, with the stadium
itself serving as the “green room.” Local football legends such as Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, and other hall of famers
from our local high schools will be invited by the NFL to participate. The NFL also
plans to invite youth sports programs and high schools in the surrounding
counties to participate in the ceremony. Surrounding counties will be asked to assist
with law enforcement and other logistics as deemed necessary.
It was very interesting to get a behind-the-scenes tour of
the stadium, discuss plans, and learn how it will affect counties like
Washington. One thing that was made perfectly clear is that the NFL is spearheading
this meticulous planning process and will be hosting many more meetings.
Click here for more information on the NFL Draft.
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