Minneapolis Will Officially Host NFL Draft For First Time In 2028

The NFL said the three-day event is expected to bring fans, national attention, and a major economic boost to Minnesota.

By William Bornhoft, Patch Staff

May 19, 2026 12:30 pm CDT

A general view of U.S. Bank Stadium is seen during the National Anthem before an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis will host the NFL Draft for the first time in 2028, the league announced Tuesday.

The decision was made by NFL owners during the Spring League Meeting, giving Minnesota one of the NFL’s biggest offseason events.

The exact dates for the 2028 NFL Draft have not yet been announced, but the event is typically held over three days in late April.

That means visitors could get the full Minnesota spring experience: sunny skies and 80 degrees are not out of the question, but the safer bet is classic spring football weather: mild, unpredictable, and worth bringing a jacket.

The 2028 NFL Draft will be held in partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Sports and Events, Meet Minneapolis, the City of Minneapolis, and the State of Minnesota, according to the NFL.

U.S. Bank Stadium is expected to be central to the event. The downtown Minneapolis stadium opened in 2016 and has already hosted some of the biggest events in American sports, including Super Bowl LII in 2018, the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four, the 2022 NCAA Women’s Final Four and the Big Ten Football Championship Game.

"Minneapolis, the site of Super Bowl LII, has a proven history of successfully hosting world-class events, and we are looking forward to working with the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Sports and Events to bring the Draft to the Twin Cities in 2028," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the announcement.

Goodell said the league expects the draft to bring "positive economic impact throughout the region."

Minnesota will become the 12th state to host the NFL Draft, according to the league.

The draft has grown into a massive traveling fan event in recent years, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to host cities.

Pittsburgh hosted the most recent NFL Draft and set an all-time attendance record with 805,000 fans, according to the league.

The 2027 NFL Draft is scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., before the event comes to Minneapolis in 2028.