MADISON, Wis. — With the 2025 NFL Draft headed to Green Bay, it will be a huge chance to cash in on tourism. That’s why it isn’t much of a surprise some state lawmakers want to do all they can to ensure those visiting the Badger State get the best experience possible.
As work on the two-year state budget continues, two lawmakers have pushed to spend money to make money, referring to hosting a major sports event as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity not just for Green Bay but the whole state.
This week, State Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, and State Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, submitted a formal motion asking for $2 million of the state budget to be used to help offset the costs of hosting the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.
“I’m confident that the numbers, the unique nature of this, is going to be of great consideration and interest,” Steffen said.
Steffen, who submitted the motion Tuesday, said spending $2 million with an anticipated economic return of $94 million is “phenomenal.”
“That’s $1 in for $45 back,” Steffen explained. “I can tell you that for the tourism industry, we typically look for a return on investment of $8 for every dollar in, so it is significantly above what is traditionally considered the minimum standard.”
The funds from the state would be used to cover the cost of additional expenses the local community did not budget for, including extra law enforcement, public works spending and staging for a weeks-worth of activities.
During a press conference Wednesday, Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy told reporters, financially, the team isn’t going to make money by hosting the draft.
“This is something we’re doing, yes, [in] the long run, it’s going to help all of us,” Murphy said. “It’s going to help the Packers, [and] it’s going to help Green Bay, but we’re a community-owned team, so for us, this is our sweet spot. This is going to be a tremendous benefit for the community.”
If Steffen’s proposal is ultimately approved, $2 million would come from the state, with the remaining funds made up of a combination of sponsorships, corporate partners and community groups.
“And we have a good year to do it,” Steffen added. “So, the good news is we have 23 months to get this figured out. The first part, for the rest of 2023, is really going to be about fundraising corporate dollars, private dollars.”
The proposed state spending would need approval from the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, which could approve the request as soon as Thursday when members take up the budget for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).
Steffen said if the funding isn’t approved as part of the WEDC budget, it could be included within the tourism budget instead.