Governor receives ceremonial NFL draft hand-off from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

MILWAUKEE — Governor Tony Evers on May 14th, joined representatives from the National Football League (NFL), Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy, Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers, and other local elected officials and leaders in Milwaukee at the Lake Express Ferry Terminal to celebrate the official hand-off of the NFL draft, which is coming to Green Bay in 2025.

“Hosting the 2025 NFL draft is a win-win-win for our state. It’s a win for fans, a win for players, and a win for all the folks that will be coming to our door to see all that Green Bay and Wisconsin have to offer,” said Gov. Evers. “The folks in Green Bay have been hard at work to make sure our communities and partners are ready to make sure the 2025 NFL draft is a success, and it’s great to take this next step in that exciting process today.”

In 2023, Gov. Evers sent a letter to Discover Green Bay and the NFL in a bid to host the 2025 NFL draft in Green Bay. A few months later, the NFL announced their selection to bring the draft to Wisconsin. As the 2024 NFL draft recently concluded in Detroit, Michigan, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sent the official NFL hand-off football via ferry to Milwaukee across Lake Michigan. After receiving the football in Milwaukee, Gov. Evers sent it along with a “Pedal to the Draft” bike relay to Lambeau Field in Green Bay, which pays tribute to the Packers’ long-time training camp tradition, marking the countdown to the 2025 NFL draft, which will take place in Green Bay on Thurs., April 24, 2025, through Sat., April 26, 2025.

“The Green Bay Packers are honored to bring the energy and excitement of the NFL draft to Wisconsin as we step up preparations to host the 2025 NFL draft in Green Bay,” said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy. “Football fans from around the country and world will be making their way to Green Bay to attend the NFL draft and appreciate the history and traditions of the Packers. They’ll also get to experience all that the state of Wisconsin has to offer, and the Pedal To The Draft is a fun way to get us started and celebrate both.”

Gov. Evers and his administration have long advocated for bringing high-caliber sporting events like the NFL draft to Wisconsin to showcase the state’s rich history of professional sports and high-quality travel and tourism infrastructure. To support Wisconsin’s recent success in recruiting and hosting large-scale events like the draft, in his 2023-25 biennial budget, Gov. Evers proposed creating and funding a $30 million opportunity and attraction fund, a measure that has significant benefits for local and regional businesses and workers, Main Streets, and the statewide economy. The final budget as enacted by Gov. Evers created the Opportunity Attraction and Promotion Fund administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and provided $10 million for the fund in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation.

“Whether they ferry or fly, pedal or drive to Wisconsin, fans are in for an unforgettable experience in Green Bay and beyond,” said Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Sayers. “Unexpected adventure awaits draft attendees with everything from our rich legacy at Lambeau and Titletown to our rich culinary culture and everything in between.”

Additionally, the 2023-25 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers provided $2 million in grants to Discover Green Bay specifically to help bolster and support marketing efforts to promote Wisconsin and Green Bay to capture the attention of thousands of folks who will be attending the 2025 NFL draft and to showcase all the state has to offer on a global stage. According to the Packers, the 2025 NFL draft is expected to draw approximately 250,000 attendees during the three-day event and have an economic impact of $94 million in Wisconsin, including approximately $20 million in the Green Bay area.

The Green Bay Packers, founded in 1919 and formally established as part of the NFL in 1921, have a rich history in Wisconsin and are the only professional sports team in the United States that is publicly owned. Lambeau Field, the oldest stadium built specifically for the NFL, has been home to the Packers since 1957. In 1967, the Packers won the first American Football League (AFL)-NFL World Championship Game, also known as Super Bowl I, against the Kansas City Chiefs. Throughout their career history as a team, the Packers have won 13 championships, the most in NFL history. Five of the 13 championships, including the first two Super Bowls, were won under the leadership of Vince Lombardi, the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1959 to 1967. In recognition of his legacy in the NFL, Lombardi was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, and, still to this day, the trophy awarded to Super Bowl champions is named the “Vince Lombardi Trophy” in his honor. Furthermore, this is the second NFL draft in Wisconsin state history, with the city of Milwaukee having been the host of the 1940 NFL draft.