Minnesota has formally entered the race to host one of the NFL’s marquee offseason events, submitting a bid to stage the 2028 NFL Draft in Minneapolis in partnership with the Minnesota Vikings and U.S. Bank Stadium.

The proposal, led by Minnesota Sports and Events, positions the Vikings’ home venue as the central hub of a multi-day festival, while outlining a wider, regional footprint across the Twin Cities. Organisers have also identified the team’s TCO Performance Center as a potential site for ancillary programming, including youth and flag football initiatives aligned with the NFL’s broader push ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Minnesota’s bid comes as the league continues its rotation of draft hosts following the event’s move away from New York in 2015. Pittsburgh is set to stage the 2026 draft next month, with Washington, D.C. hosting in 2027, meaning a decision on the 2028 destination could arrive in the near future.

The Vikings and local organisers are framing the bid as both a logistical and economic opportunity. Recent drafts have drawn hundreds of thousands of fans — including around 600,000 attendees in Green Bay last year — while delivering significant financial impact to host regions.

Vikings executive vice president Lester Bagley confirmed the franchise’s commitment to the process, stating the organisation would provide ‘financial support, staff support and organisational energy’ in pursuit of the event.

Should the bid prove successful, it would mark another major NFL showcase for Minneapolis a decade after hosting Super Bowl LII, and complete a clean sweep of NFC North cities staging the draft since its modern-era roadshow began.