Planning for 2025 draft in limbo until specifics are decided
GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- Bringing the NFL Draft to Green Bay has been an ongoing effort for years. And now that Green Bay has been selected to host the 2025 event, planning can start to get underway.
But without specific details on when and exactly where the draft will be held, plans in and around the Stadium District remain in limbo.
“At some point, we need to block off the calendar. We're probably blocking off part of the calendar already of things for 2025," said Terry Charles with PMI Entertainment Group, the group that manages the Resch Center and Resch Expo. "So, that's our biggest thing to prepare is really not to book something in the complex that might interfere with the NFL's timeline."
The official announcement said the main portion of the draft is expected to take place on the Lambeau Field and Titletown campus, with a variety of venues to be utilized within close proximity to the stadium area.
Officials with PMI Entertainment Group participated in the draft proposal. They're hopeful their facilities will be used for some portion of the event; they just don't know in what capacity.
“When you think about a major event, there are so many layers to it. There's media production, there's maybe green rooms for players that may be drafted. There are areas for parties, for sponsors," explained Charles. "So, there's so many things that space is needed."
One space not in the immediate area of the Stadium District that is expected to be utilized during draft weekend is the Automobile Gallery, closer to downtown Green Bay. Officials there say they've been part of Green Bay's NFL Draft proposal for years, and like PMI, they're waiting to hear what's next.
“We pledged our full support, so everything from parking to venue parking to holding potential events here, obviously tours. We're well equipped for this because we have visitors from all over the world every year anyway," said Darrel Burnett, the executive director at The Automobile Gallery. "So, it's perfect for providing what I would call ancillary entertainment tied to the NFL Draft in 2025.”
It will still be another year or so before venues in the Green Bay area know what role they'll play in the draft, but that doesn't take away from the excitement of knowing Green Bay and Titletown are hosting in 2025.
“For us, it's a heck of a privilege to be able to host one of the biggest events in the United States, in the world for that matter really," said Charles.
“This is so fresh that we're just basking in the award of it, and now the hard work begins as we look ahead to see exactly is going to play out,” added Burnett.
It's estimated the draft will bring about $90-plus million of revenue into the state and more than half of that will be in Green Bay.
