Report: Indianapolis considering a bid to host the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft last weekend in Philadelphia seemed to be a success, as a large crowd showed up and was enthused throughout all three days of the event.

The success of the draft over the past two years in Chicago and Philadelphia has made other NFL cities consider hosting the event in the future, and that includes Indianapolis. According to the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder, citing information from Indiana Sports Corp’s Susan Baughman, “Indianapolis has requested information on bidding between 2020 and 2023 and is awaiting further instructions from the NFL on how and when to proceed. No decision has been made on whether to submit a bid, but the idea has clearly piqued the interest of local officials.”

Holder adds that there were 15 NFL cities with representatives in Philadelphia this past weekend to gauge interest in hosting the event, while Canton, Ohio was also represented. Holder also mentioned that Indy tourism officials were at the last two drafts, in both Chicago and Philly.

Ever since the NFL took the draft on the road a couple of years ago, people have wondered whether Indianapolis would consider hosting it. After all, Indy has hosted a wide variety of sporting events, including for the NFL - most notably the Super Bowl XLVI and the annual NFL Scouting Combine. Indy has garnered a good reputation for its job hosting both of those events, so a possible NFL Draft there in the future wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility. It sounds like the city is considering a future bid, which makes perfect sense.

It would be pretty cool to see the draft held in Indianapolis and would give fans the chance to come out and see the show, since the league has turned the draft into something far more than just the selection of players and into an event for fans, both in person and on TV. Heck, Indianapolis even stole headlines for this past draft by the orangutan making picks at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Nothing sounds imminent, and even if the city does bid, they wouldn’t actually host the event for another few years. But it’s something that is certainly worth looking into, and it might be for the best - that way, we don’t have to hear “Fly Eagles Fly” anymore.

Would you go to the draft if it was held in Indianapolis?