The NFL's premier offseason event is coming to town.
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, the league announced Monday at the owners meetings, bringing a longtime goal for the Lions to fruition. Detroit won out over Green Bay and Washington D.C.
The three-day event in late April will be sponsored by Bud Light and staged in "the area around Campus Martius and Hart Plaza," according to the league. It will also feature music events at Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena and fireworks on the Detroit River.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called it a "huge win for Detroiters and football fans across the state of Michigan" and "a testament to the Motor City's hustle and spirit" in a statement released Monday afternoon.
“It will inject energy into our economy, benefitting countless small businesses and working families in Southeast Michigan," Whitmer said.
The Lions have been pursuing the draft for the better part of five years, first putting in a bid in 2018 to play host in 2020. They highlighted Ford Field, the Fox Theater and the riverfront as feature locations for the event, but didn't make the cut as one of five finalists.
Team president Rod Wood said shortly thereafter the Lions would be "right back in the mix on that," and reiterated last offseason that he envisioned having "hundreds of thousands of people downtown enjoying the draft."
In two short years, his vision will come to life.
The last pre-pandemic NFL Draft drew nearly 600,000 fans to Nashville in 2019 and generated about $225 million in economic impact, while Cleveland drew about 160,000 spectators last year.
Claude Molinari, CEO of Visit Detroit, said in a statement released Monday that landing the draft marks a "historic day for Detroit," which will host "football fans from across the country who will make our city a pigskin pilgrimage stop."
"Hosting the draft is another exciting win for Detroit, and it will deliver a powerful economic impact and highlight the vibrancy of our region," said Molinari.
This year's draft will take place in Vegas, followed by Kansas City in 2023.
It's been a big day of publicity for the Lions, with the club also announcing that it will be featured on this year's series of the HBO hit show 'Hard Knocks.'