Pittsburgh and the Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL draft

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NFL has awarded the 2026 draft to Pittsburgh with the Steelers ready to tap Pennsylvania's deep football tradition trying to meet the new standard for host cities.

League officials announced the decision Wednesday as part of the NFL spring meetings. Owners chose Pittsburgh after reviewing the bid along with the advisory committee. The three-day draft will be held at Point State Park and the Steelers' home at Acrisure Stadium.

The NFL set a record with more than 775,000 fans attending the 2024 draft in April in Detroit, and Green Bay will be hosting the 2025 draft at Lambeau Field on April 24-26.

Pittsburgh owner Art Rooney II said Detroit and Kansas City helped set a very high bar for hosting one of the NFL's premier events. He said the Steelers look forward to following that tradition tapping into the roots of pro football in a state that sent the likes of Mike Ditka, Dan Marino and Joe Montana to the NFL.

“We think it’ll be the largest visitor event in the history of Pittsburgh hosting hundreds of thousands of people and really football fans from all over the country,” Rooney said. “Certainly, the Steelers nation from all over the country we think will come for a visit. So we just look forward to hosting that.”

The NFL began rotating its annual draft around the country in 2015 starting in Chicago after holding the event in New York between 1965 and 2014. Philadelphia hosted in 2017 followed by Dallas in 2018, Nashville in 2019, Cleveland in 2021, Las Vegas in 2022 and Kansas City in 2023.

The Steelers are excited for Pittsburgh to get its turn at hosting the NFL draft. Long snapper Christian Kunitz can't wait for this opportunity as a Pittsburgh native.

“It’s always been in a massive city like Vegas or somewhere like that or just for the Yinzers to experience that, it’s going to be awesome,” Kunitz said.

Tight end Pat Freiermuth agreed.

“Obviously it’s good for Pittsburgh, great for local restaurants and bars around there obviously with the revenue stuff,” Freiermuth said. "It’s great for fans from all over the country, all over the world, countries to come to Pittsburgh and check out what a great city it is.”

AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Arthur Rooney II speaks during news conference at the NFL football owners spring meetings Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The league announced that Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Arthur Rooney II speaks during news conference at the NFL football owners spring meetings Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The league announced that Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Arthur Rooney II attends a news conference at the NFL football owners spring meetings Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The league announced that Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Arthur Rooney II speaks during news conference at the NFL football owners spring meetings Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The league announced that Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 17, 2024--

The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation today announced that organizations can now apply for funding for programs that advance nutrition education, nutrition access, and wellness for children and adults in the communities where Sprouts operates. Sprouts will award a total of $3M to approximately 300 local organizations.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240617333982/en/

“Our 32,000 team members want to see our communities thrive. Supporting local organizations that focus on wellness and nutrition access is an important part of what we do,” said Jack Sinclair, chief executive officer of Sprouts Farmers Market.

The Foundation’s mission is focused on improving health outcomes by supporting nutrition education, nutrition access, and wellness programs. Each of the grants will provide organizations with $5,000 to $10,000 in funding. The grant categories include:

“Our goal is to help children and adults connect with vital resources, learn new skills, and improve their health and wellness,” said Lyndsey Waugh, executive director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. “We look forward to working with over 300 organizations to drive meaningful impact in our communities."

Since 2015, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has awarded over $20 million in grants to organizations that are working on the front lines of nutrition education and wellness. An estimated 3 million children participate in programs supported by the Foundation each year and Sprouts expects to more than double its grant programs in the year ahead.

The deadline to apply is July 15, 2024. For more information on the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation visit www.sprouts.com/about/sprouts-foundation/

About Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients such as organic, plant-based and gluten-free. Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in the United States, Sprouts employs approximately 32,000 team members and more than 400 stores in 23 states nationwide. To learn more about Sprouts, and the good it brings communities, visit about.sprouts.com.

School gardens serve as living classrooms for students, linking nutrition and academics with hands-on learning through Sprouting School Gardens grants. (Photo: Business Wire)

Adults with autism and other neurodiversities participate in cooking courses at First Place AZ model apartment community to build independent living skills with help from Sprouts grant funding. (Photo: Business Wire)