NFL draft could bring visitors to Butler County
The NFL draft coming to Pittsburgh in 2026 is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of people to the region, meaning Butler County locales could get a boost in visits from football fans and guests of the draft.
Hotels in the Cranberry Township area regularly get an increase in booking when sporting events take place in Pittsburgh, and officials expect no less from an event as big as the NFL draft.
“A lot of these people live and die by the draft; you’re going to have people come in from all different directions,” said Bill Caraway, area director of sales and marketing for Home2 Suites Pittsburgh Cranberry. “When special events come in … You get a lot of push that will go into Butler County, especially since you have an easy access system to get in and out of Pittsburgh.”
The 2026 NFL draft will incorporate local features such as Point State Park, as well as Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 2024 NFL draft, which took place in Detroit over three days in April, broke attendance records for the event, with more than 775,000 people flooding into the city, according to the Associated Press.
Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau, said the scope of the event is so big, that people looking to stay overnight for it will likely have no choice but to stay in Butler County for the festivities.
“Whenever a significant event takes place in Pittsburgh, Butler County experiences a boost in the local economy, particularly in our hotels and restaurants,” Cohen said. “We are thrilled to participate in such a major visitor event in our region.”
Jordan Grady, president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, also said area businesses are expecting a boost, especially those that cater to sports fans. Grady also said his office has already spoken with officials of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, to share good practices for the opportunity. Philadelphia hosted the draft in 2017.
“My speculative thought is that the county’s tourism bureau is already working on a multimedia marketing campaign,” Grady said; “targeted NFL fans, promoting Butler County as a more affordable lodging option, safer areas, and much less hectic than what the city of Pittsburgh will look like during that time.”
Caraway said people planning to come to the region to experience the NFL draft should book their stays early, because he, too, expects hotels to fill up.
“Cranberry (Township) and Butler County are busy day to day anyway with the amount of corporate travel in the market,” Caraway said. “I certainly expect the hotels the will be filled that entire week.”
