On Wednesday, ESPN’s Pat McAfee of ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ and Visit Indy announced that the NFL Combine will remain in Indianapolis, and specifically, the host site Lucas Oil Stadium for the years 2027 and 2028:
The NFL Combine has been in Indianapolis since 1987, and it seems to work very efficiently from an annual event planning, logistical, and convenience perspective. Not to mention, the Colts have a temperate controlled indoor stadium during one of the coldest months of the year throughout the country. Further, Indianapolis has indoor skywalks, connecting directly to the Convention Center, with a very easy to navigate downtown (with renowned steakhouses, hotels, and hospitals for physicals) that are all right next to Lucas Oil Stadium.
The NFL has recently toyed with the idea of having the NFL Combine be in a ‘destination’ city each year, similar to the changes made to the NFL Draft, having Indianapolis as part of the event site rotation rather than remain as the annual scouting event’s continued home and long-term fixture.
However, Indianapolis has continued to get the call and an “extension” during the interim period of time. That speaks to the job that Indianapolis, event organizers, and planners continue to do at a very high level.
I’ve always maintained that the event should be held in Indianapolis for its efficiency, and because if it isn’t broke why fix it here? I can understand the NFL trying to generate more buzz for the NFL Combine by attempting to make it into more of a marquee event, but at the end of the day, it’s NFL prospects performing drills and measurables in dri-fit tank tops and shorts. Some of the top prospects don’t even participate in the event’s drills.
It doesn’t have the same intriguing narratives (i.e., guys sliding on the draft board and sitting in the green room), multiple trades, etc., that go hand-in-hand with NFL Draft weekend. It’s an interesting event for NFL fans by all means, but for a lot of other different reasons (i.e., look at Anthony Richardson blowing up and soaring up draft boards with his elite physical measurables back in 2023, ‘who can annually challenge the fastest 40 time ever?,’ or what does an elite wide receiver prospect think about catching passes from this star NFL passer?).
It’s great to see that the annual rite of late winter will remain in Indianapolis for at least the next few years.
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