Politicians question Pittsburgh plan to spend $1M on 2026 NFL Draft despite city's fiscal challenges

Some Pittsburgh City Council members are criticizing Mayor Ed Gainey for pledging to spend $1 million in taxpayer money to support the 2026 NFL Draft in a city already on precarious financial footing.

“That is just irresponsible,” said Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview. “It seems like a lot of money.”

They also condemned the Gainey administration for making the commitment prematurely without council approval.

A bill seeking council’s authorization wasn’t introduced until Tuesday.

Under the bill, the city would allocate $1 million to its tourism agency, Visit Pittsburgh, which is coordinating with the multibillion-dollar NFL and other partners to prepare for the draft.

Gainey has agreed to provide the financial support, according to his spokeswoman, Olga George.

She said city funding was a requirement when Pittsburgh submitted a bid to host the draft, which was announced earlier this year.

“This agreement is necessary to make good on that commitment now that we’ve been selected,” George said Tuesday in a statement.

She did not immediately respond to questions about the nature of the agreement.

News about the mayor’s commitment took some council members by surprise when they learned of it this week.

Councilman Bob Charland, D-South Side wondered aloud Tuesday what would happen if council declines to provide the money the administration promised.

“We should not be in the business of spending a million dollars willy-nilly when we can’t tear down houses and we can’t pave streets,” Charland said.

Coghill — a member of the Sports & Exhibition Authority board — said he was unaware that the city intended to spend any taxpayer funds to support the three-day draft.

While Coghill acknowledged that the event is likely to be an “economic boom” for local businesses, restaurants and hotels, he said he’d prefer not to use any taxpayer money at all to support it.

“I think that will spark a negative reaction from people, knowing we’re that we’re taking your money and instead of buying a new ambulance, we’re going to use it to promote the NFL,” Coghill added.

In May, the NFL chose Pittsburgh to host the draft in two years. Powered by the NFL’s glitzy marketing machine and fans’ insatiable appetite for pro football, the draft has become a marquee event for the league and the cities chosen as hosts.

Officials predict the draft could draw the largest tourist crowds in Pittsburgh history.

Emily Hatfield, a spokeswoman for Visit Pittsburgh, said public dollars spent on the draft could go toward marketing, opportunities for minority-owned businesses or infrastructure upgrades.

The total economic impact generated from prior drafts in other cities has been estimated between $120 million and $213 million, Hatfield said.

The spending proposal from the Gainey administration comes as the city faces the looming prospect of difficult financial years.

Revenues are expected to dip over the next few years, with federal covid-19 relief money drying up, Downtown property values plummeting and the so-called “jock tax” on professional athletes who don’t live in the city facing legal challenges.

Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, D-Squirrel Hill, questioned the notion of spending so much during a period of belt-tightening.

“This is a lot of money during a time of increasing austerity,” said Strassburger, who oversees council’s finance and law committee.

Strassburger said she didn’t know if the city could recoup a $1 million outlay.

“At this point, [I have] many, many questions about what the city will get in terms of additional revenue and funding and what the plan is to capture as much of that as possible,” Strassburger said.

Strassburger said a city appropriation for the draft would come from funds currently dedicated to maintenance, fuel and materials.

She could not immediately provide more specific details about whether that was excess money or cash being siphoned from other needs.

Strassburger anticipates officials will get more information and have more detailed discussions about the proposal ahead of a vote on the legislation.

The bill before council also would commit the city to providing in-kind services.

Hatfield said that likely would include assistance from the public safety and public works departments.

Coghill said he does not believe the city has enough police or EMS staffing to handle an event of the draft’s magnitude and would likely have to turn to neighboring municipalities to provide additional services.

Earlier this year, 775,000 fans deluged Detroit for the draft, an NFL record.

Visit Pittsburgh has also asked Allegheny County to chip in $3 million, Hatfield said, though the county has not made the allocation yet. A county spokeswoman declined to comment.

Hatfield said additional funding is expected from the local business community, but she did not provide an overall cost estimate.

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