Pittsburgh officials preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft will face a unique logistical challenge never before encountered by a host city: how to get hundreds of thousands of fans around an event spanning two sites separated by a river.
No one struck panic mode Wednesday during a discussion on the draft arranged by the city’s tourism arm, Visit Pittsburgh.
But after the panel wrapped up at the Heinz History Center, Troy Schooley walked reporters through the challenges that await.
“How do we deal with parking? How do we deal with shuttle services? How do we get people from place to place?” said Schooley, CEO of P3R, which hosts events like the city’s annual marathon and is helping lead planning efforts for the draft.
They’re all fair questions for a place that famed World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle once called “the cockeyedest city in the United States.”
As it stands, the draft will be divided between a main stage outside Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore and Point State Park in Downtown.
Details have yet to be finalized on how the NFL will split its events between the two locations that make up its official draft footprint or how the league will ensure a smooth experience for fans traveling from place to place.
Those are questions, Schooley said, that have yet to be answered.
Jerad Bachar, president and CEO of Visit Pittsburgh, said about 20 people from his organization, the city and the Steelers will be attending next month’s draft in Green Bay, Wis., home of the Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field, to help better understand logistics, safety considerations and transit options.
The group organizing Pittsburgh’s draft still has a lot to consider, Schooley said. They’ll need to recruit about 3,000 volunteers to help man the event, he estimated.
About 140 local organizations are involved in prep work, Schooley said.
Public safety plans are also being developed, Schooley said. Event organizers have been in touch with public safety officials at the city, county and state levels, he said, and are “very confident” they’ll be able to maintain safety.
There’s reason to be cautious. A mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade in February 2024 left one dead and almost two dozen injured despite the presence of hundreds of police officers.
Also being considered, Bachar said, are ways to engage residents — even those who may be skeptical about dealing with the added traffic and parking pressures.
Bachar raised the likelihood of fireworks at a festival catering to Pittsburghers on Saturday, April 25 — the draft’s last day.
Local businesses will be able to apply to be vendors for the three-day event, which will include pop-ups beyond the North Shore and Point State Park. Details have not been released.
The league is planning to incorporate the city’s museums, food and music into its football-focused celebration, said Ashley Hamilton, director of event location, strategy and planning for the NFL.
“We want to thread that through as many production elements as we can,” she told hospitality industry leaders during the panel discussion.
The NFL in May announced Pittsburgh would host its marquee off-season event next year. Officials have predicted the draft will be among the largest events the city has ever hosted.
The 2026 Draft will be held April 23 to 25.
Former host cities told TribLive the event attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors and generated millions of dollars for local businesses.
Visit Pittsburgh, which is celebrating its 90th year, on Wednesday highlighted the local tourism market’s recent success.
The tourist agency reported the county’s tourism sector generated an estimated $6.8 billion in economic impact last year, boosted by a 3.6% increase in visitors compared to the year prior.
Bachar said he’s hopeful the draft will help the city attract even more large-scale events. He said hosting such a major event will prove the city is capable of meeting the demands of other significant attractions.
“Pittsburgh is now on their radar,” he said.