Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports
Texans, Vikings join growing queue of teams hoping to host NFL draft
Michael McClymont May 8, 2017 4:31 PM
The list of NFL cities hoping to host a future NFL draft is growing longer by the day.
Since the league moved its marquee offseason event from the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York in 2015, cities have been clamoring to host the three-day festival.
The latest to throw their names in the hat are the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings.
"Houston is in the mix among a number of other cities to be considered for the draft," Texans team president Jamey Rootes told the media on Monday. "It would be a spectacular event for our community. You saw what we did for the Super Bowl."
The city of Houston hosted Super Bowl LI in February, the league's premiere showcase event.
"We had representatives up at the draft in Philadelphia to get an eyes-on view of the requirements in hopes that at some point in time we are asked to bid," Rootes said. "I think Houston would be a very, very valuable spot for the National Football League to locate the draft."
The Vikings, hosts of Super Bowl LII, would also like to bring the NFL community to Minneapolis for another event.
"We think, obviously, we have a great community, great hospitality, great hotels, restaurants," team executive vice president Lester Bagley said on Monday, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Bagley confirmed the franchise applied in October to host the 2022 or 2023 NFL Draft.
"It helps us get through the Super Bowl and then turn our attention to thinking through what the logistics of an NFL draft in our market would look like," he said.
The draft was held in New York from 1965-2014 and has since been brought to Chicago for b the 2015 and 2016 events, while Philadelphia hosted this year.
Kansas City, Green Bay, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, and Canton, Ohio have all expressed interest in hosting the draft.