Green Bay lawmakers asking for $2 million in state budget for NFL Draft

Two Republican lawmakers from Green Bay are asking Wisconsin’s budget writing committee to dedicate $2 million in state funds towards helping the Green Bay Packers host the 2025 NFL Draft. The request comes after the NFL selected Green Bay as the location for the event, which will cost an estimated $7.5 million, last week.

While the Green Bay Packers have committed to spending over $1 million on the event and raising over $4 million from other organizations, Rep. David Steffen (R-Green Bay) and Sen. Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) say the state should kick in the last $2 million needed to bring the draft to their hometown. 

The draft bill would require the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to provide a grant to the Experience Greater Green Bay Corporation to support the cost of the 2025 NFL Draft. Steffen told UPFront that the money would be for costs related to public safety, waste management and parking requirements. 

“This will come right out of the state budget. We’ll earmark $2 million likely out of the tourism budget to ensure we have the funds in Green Bay to be a world class host for the NFL draft in 2025,” Steffen said. 

Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said on UpFront that he’s had initial conversations with Republican lawmakers about the funding, which he says “would obviously be very helpful.”

“We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to get that funding.” Murphy continued. “It’s economic development. It’s going to benefit the state. It’s good for everybody.” 

The draft, which is the NFL’s largest offseason event, could represent a major economic boon for Wisconsin. Other host cities have seen thousands of visitors and millions spent. 

Around 312,000 fans visited Kansas City in April for the 2023 NFL Draft. In 2022, the NFL Draft brought around 300,000 people to Las Vegas and contributed to the city’s economic recovery after the pandemic. The NFL Draft brought over 600,000 people to Nashville, Tennessee in 2019 and around $132.8 million in spending over three days. 

According to the draft budget motion, the three-day event is expected to draw an estimated 240,000 people to Wisconsin as well as an additional $20 million to Green Bay and $94 million in total to the state.

“The draft is a big deal, whether it was in Chicago or New York or Kansas City, but the impact that it’s going to have on Green Bay is multiple what you would have in other cities,” Murphy said. 

In addition to visitors and spending, the draft motion says the event could also serve as a “weeks-long commercial” for Green Bay and Wisconsin. It estimates more than 54 million viewers in the U.S. and about $47 million in earned media. 

According to the draft motion, the proposal has support from several other Republican lawmakers including Reps. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay), Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc), Robert Wittke (R-Racine), Angie Sapik (R-Lake Nebagamon) and Peter Schmidt (R-Bonduel). Several organizations are also noted as supporting the proposal including Discover Green Bay, Fox Cities Chambers of Commerce, the Wisconsin Tavern League, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association. 

Steffen has said he thinks the motion could be considered as a part of the tourism section of the budget. It’s unclear whether or when the JFC will take up the motion, but the committee is scheduled to meet Thursday to take action on the tourism section of the budget.

JFC co-chair Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said in a statement to the Wisconsin State Journal that the committee is “aware of the request by the Packers for the state to provide financial support for the NFL draft,” and “conversations about this request are ongoing as part of the larger budget conversation.”