If ya wanna play, ya gotta pay.
That’s the mindset of many 2026 NFL Draft Experience attendees who are spending plenty of dollars at the Draft.
Admission to the 2026 NFL Draft may be free, but costs incurred to enjoy all the Draft Experience has to offer — like food, drinks, merchandise, transportation, select fan events and lodging — come with a hefty price tag.
“It’s been a little bit of sticker shock,” said Houston, Texas, resident Albert Martinez, an avid Steelers fan in town for the three-day Draft and staying at a nearby Airbnb. “Especially when you have to spend $20-$30 for one drink.”
Beer and cocktail drinks sold inside the NFL fan areas range from $17-$21.75, wine is $14-$18, and bottled water is $7.
“I get the ‘street side’ beers that are $8 bucks,” said Torrey Poholsky of Deep Creek, Md., about the non-associated street vendor offerings.
Parking has been a “big talk” subject, Poholsky said. “There are ways to cut corners (on spending) and I got parking for $40 at the Liberty Garage, instead of paying the $90 event parking at another garage.”
Poholsky estimated he’d spend around $1,000 total for his Draft experience.
“Primanti’s at midnight is pretty cheap too,” he said.
A Draft Deal in Pittsburgh?
The average per-person cost to attend the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh (without travel or lodging included) is $435, according to estimates provided by Bookies.com, an online betting site, for all 32 teams’ cities.
Bookie’s breakdown found Pittsburgh actually offered the cheapest Draft experience and Seattle ranked the most expensive, with an average cost of more than $2,000 per fan (though Seattle has never actually hosted the Draft).
Mark DeVincentis and his son Thomas DeVincentis share a love of the San Francisco 49ers and traveling to NFL games nationwide.
Booking an overnight stay in Pittsburgh, even though they could reasonably drive from their hometown in New Castle, has been worth every penny.
“It’s our first draft, and I did pay $18 for a beer here. I don’t have a lot of drink sticker shock because we do go to other NFL stadiums,” Mark DeVincentis said. “But even being local, we’re looking at a $1,000 Draft weekend.”
The father and son bought plenty of merch from the NFL Draft booth inside Point State Park, including $250 on sweatshirts and a large NFL blanket featuring all 32 teams. However, they passed on t-shirts priced at $70 each.
“A lot of the stuff we saw yesterday is already sold out,” Mark DeVincentis said.
Philadelphia friends Monique Brown and Ashantay Lacey are trying their best to keep a reasonable budget.
Brown is an Eagles fan and Lacey loves the Dallas Cowboys. The two are splitting the Draft costs.
“But I will spend money on any experience. I like memories,” Brown said. “I’m a foodie, so I will spend on that.”
Food stand prices inside Point State Park include kettle corn ($12), fresh-cut fries ($10), an Italian sausage sandwich for $17, Frito-Lay chips for $3.75, $5.50 candy bars and Pepsi products for $7.50. Free water is available at the bottle refilling hydration station inside the park.
Pittsburgh retirees Debbie and Shawn Soltis took a Draft day trip that kicked off with a steak-themed brunch at North Shore Tavern before hitting the festivities.
The couple parked along the street on Mt. Washington and took the Incline (both free), which saved them money right off the bat.
“We will spend about $500 today,” Shawn Soltis said. “Brunch was about $150.”
Their son Nick Soltis and his friend Olivia Knuth, visiting from North Carolina, joined them.
The family agreed that the unique experience of attending an NFL Draft comes with a price tag.
“We’re willing to spend because this is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” Shawn Soltis said.
Knuth agreed.
“I’ve visited my brother in New York, and I’ve seen big city prices, so I think I knew what to expect with this,” Knuth said.
Alex Weinreich noshed on a hearty heaping of street fries Friday in Point State Park.
Weinreich and his twin brother and their friend traveled from Buffalo, N.Y., for all three days of the event.
“We’ve had a couple of Draft price surprises,” Weinreich said. “But we kind of expected it.”
The trio spent more than $70 Friday for a takeout lunch of three orders of street fries with three bottled waters.
“I’m spending at least $2,000. The food here is our biggest expense. We haven’t drank (alcohol) anything,” Weinreich said. “Pittsburgh has been great so far.”