The Cleveland Browns, Pro Football Hall of Fame and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission have partnered to submit a bid to host to the 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft in Northeast Ohio. The group formally delivered its application to NFL headquarters last week.
If selected by the NFL, Cleveland and Canton would welcome the three-day NFL Draft to Northeast Ohio and celebrate the league's 100th season in 2019 or centennial in 2020 after its establishment in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 20, 1920.
"Since even before the establishment of the NFL nearly 100 years ago and the legacies of household names like Jim Brown, Paul Brown, Otto Graham and Lou Groza, Northeast Ohio has been rooted in football and NFL history and has been dedicated to developing the sport we love at all levels of competition, " said Dee and Jimmy Haslam. "With the support of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Cleveland and Canton are the ideal sites for the NFL Draft due to our region's unmatched passion and respect for football, as well as our commitment to its future and the next generation of Hall of Fame players."
"Northeast Ohio and the Pro Football Hall of Fame have long been a destination for football fans across the world who have supported our mission to Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE," commented Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker. "The Hall of Fame is privileged to join the Cleveland Browns along with the leadership in Cleveland, Canton and throughout the region to create a draft experience unlike any other"
"We believe that Northeast Ohio is the perfect place to host the NFL Draft," said Greater Cleveland Sports Commission President & CEO David Gilbert. "We can showcase the strength of our unique football history with the Cleveland Browns and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and we have proven time and time again that Greater Cleveland Sports Commission can align community partners to successfully host large scale sporting events."
The 2017 NFL Draft was granted to Philadelphia after being held in Chicago the previous two years. In 2010, the NFL Draft expanded to a three-day format, including primetime broadcasts on both Thursday and Friday night.
