When the NFL moved its annual player draft from its longtime home at Radio City Music Hall in New York City to Chicago in 2015, it was the first time another city had hosted the event since 1964.
The change in scenery allowed fans from other regions of the country to come out and support their teams and introduced a new tradition — conducting the draft in a different city every year.
After returning to Chicago in 2016, the NFL Draft made stops in Philadelphia, Dallas, Nashville, Cleveland, and Las Vegas.
This year, the draft moves to Kansas City — fresh off its third Super Bowl title and second in the last four years.
“We’re super excited,” Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said as he opened his pre-draft press conference last week. “I know the entire organization is looking forward to seeing the show Kansas City puts on. I’m sure it’ll be a great show. [There is] A lot of buzz around the city, a lot of excitement around the building.”
Cities bid to host the NFL Draft years in advance, and the NFL makes a widely-anticipated announcement much like it does for the Super Bowl and other sports entities do for events like the Olympics, the World Cup, the College Football Playoff, and the NCAA Final Four.
“It’s just absolutely amazing from where this has gone to now traveling all over across the country and allowing cities to put on great performances,” Veach told the media last week. “I think it’s cool because not every city can have a Super Bowl just because of how big that is, but they can have a part of this NFL experience with different things.”
The NFL experience in Kansas City will include the annual NFL Draft Experience theme park that travels with the event, prospects walking the red carpet in front of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, free concerts following the conclusion of each day, Â and “special moments” with former Chiefs’ players and legends, and appearances from famous Kansas City natives and other guests.
The 2023 NFL Draft lasts three days and starts at 7 p.m. CT Thursday from Kansas City’s Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial.
The event is expected to have a $125 million impact on the local economy.
