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Nine years in the making, two years in the staging and three days in the having, the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay is over, and what a three days it was.
According to the NFL, the three-day attendance for the April 24-26 draft was 600,000, shattering the pre-draft estimate of 250,000 and equal to Nashville in 2019, which before last year's 775,000 in Detroit was the record for draft attendance. By comparison, the Detroit metro area is 4.3 million, Nashville is 2 million and Green Bay 320,000.
"We knew there was the possibility with this campus, the way it was set up, the draw of Lambeau Field and the enthusiasm this community and state have for football, it was going to be potentially a great turnout," said Aaron Popkey, Packers director of public affairs.
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said they made a pretty conservative estimate. "We were not quite correct," he said.
Saturday's attendance of 220,000 was 15,000 more than Thursday, the first night, which usually is the biggest day.
[IMG alt="Fans gather in front of the Draft Theater to watch the third and final day of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/green-bay-press-gazette/f63de58d8b3ca6d98d7bb584dae5b425[/IMG]
"Thursday night definitely set the stage. The energy was incredible. That provided some momentum for Friday and Saturday," Popkey said.
On top of that, the first two days were the most-watched days of the draft ever, excepting the first day in 2020, when the COVID pandemic made watching a broadcast the only option.
"They proved they can do it in style," said Packers fan Charles Kirsch of Antigo, who was in attendance on Saturday.
The NFL agreed. The praise for Green Bay, including a post from Brian McCarthy, NFL vice president of communications, was abundant. "Green Bay has been so good, so good to the @NFL this week. Amazing crowd sticking around 223 picks in," he wrote.
Murphy said the NFL was pleased and surprised at the turnout, about 90% of which were probably Packers fans.
"I never ceased to be amazed by our fans," he said.
Murphy has said hundreds, if not thousands of times, that Packers fans are the best fans in all of sports, but probably not with more meaning than he did Saturday from the draft stage.
"This is awesome. They were just unbelievable," Murphy said, motioning to the crowd. "So proud of all our fans. Not only Packers fans, but all NFL fans."
It was Murphy who first suggested bringing the draft to Green Bay and continued to push the process until the NFL finally decided it was time to do so. Murphy, who will retire in July, was clearly pleased throughout, from his first appearance on the stage to announce the Packers' No. 1 pick, receiver Matthew Golden of Texas, to his handing off the 2026 draft to Dan Rooney Jr. of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On April 24, he had a little fun with the fans when he announced the pick. When he said it was something the Packers hadn't done since 2002, everyone knew that 1) it would be a receiver and 2) it would be Matthew Golden. They were cheering before the name was announced.
"That shows you how our fans follow the team so closely," Murphy said Saturday as he was leaving for home after the Brad Paisley concert that ended the event. "That was one of the more electric moments."
[IMG alt="Green Bay Packers fans chant “Go Pack, Go!” during the third and final day of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/green-bay-press-gazette/9a2bd639615515680682db2fb7b99c8e[/IMG]
Saturday was as pleasant as Friday was uncomfortable with its rain and cooler temperatures. The temperature on was in the high 50s, but warmer on the pavement surrounding Lambeau Field. And, as expected, many of the fans attending the last day of the draft were local. That's not been unusual for other drafts either. The Saturday of the draft is a day off work and it's a good day to bring the kids.
"I think it was so fitting to have a gloriously bright sunny day, smiling faces and appreciative faces," Popkey said. "From all of us involved, there is so much gratitude for the support and appreciation people have demonstrated."
Murphy said the whole draft campus, especially the NFL Draft Experience, was like Disney World for football.
"We were at Titletown. It's all part of the same complex. There's a lot to do here," said Johnny Zajac, a Minnesota Vikings fan from the Twin Cities.
More: From the Draft Haus dive bar to the best photo ops, a few of our favorite attractions at the NFL Draft Experience
More: A view of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay from those who live in the area
A couple takeaways from fan interviews: A majority of those fans stayed with friends or family, they were impressed by how well organized the draft was and how much room there was to move around, even with so many people, and how well traffic moved. Fans said getting to the draft campus, located at Lambeau Field, Titletown and the Resch complex, was easy, and getting home not much worse.
"It's impressive how they pulled it off," said Jake Hammer of Green Bay. "We were expecting traffic."
With at least 175,000 people on site each day, friction was at a minimum, even with Packers fans shouting, at the drop of a hat, that "the Bears still suck." That and "Go Pack Go!" are Green Bay rallying cries.
"I'm highly impressed with how everything is going," said Pam Racine of the town of Scott. "People are very cordial."
In fact, police reported only one arrest over the three days of the draft.
[IMG alt="Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy hands the football to Pittsburgh Steelers Director of Business Development & Strategy Daniel Rooney and the Steelers’ draft host committee at the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/green-bay-press-gazette/18ad6ecbf4f1575e4fbcc055a5ccfe6f[/IMG]
Zajac was part of a quartet of friends that included three Minnesota Vikings fans who attended all three days.
"Our voices are a little hoarse from booing the commissioner all night. It's a tradition," he said.
The friends won an opportunity to get a photo on the red carpet along the Lambeau Field visiting sideline. They were excited, even if they didn't get to go on the actual field.
Vikings fans they were, but they found Lambeau Field a welcoming environment, at least for the draft, which every team has the same record.
"It's not a competitive atmosphere. It's like a college atmosphere," said Evan Kalthoff, also of the Twin Cities.
"It's been fantastic. Nice weather. Friendly people," said Christopher Kirsch of Ashwaubenon.
His group was among the many people who found free street parking, choosing not to pay $100 or so for someone's yard, although prices came down by Saturday as supply and demand kicked in. People were parking as far as two miles away and walking to the draft campus.
They were sitting on benches, enjoying a beverage on Saturday afternoon, surrounded by Packers fans, and a random Baltimore Ravens fan, their own friend Bob Seide of Shawano.
"Kudos to the Packers and the city of Green Bay," Seide said.
Contact Richard Ryman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay earns plaudits from NFL, smashes draft attendance projection
Continue reading...
According to the NFL, the three-day attendance for the April 24-26 draft was 600,000, shattering the pre-draft estimate of 250,000 and equal to Nashville in 2019, which before last year's 775,000 in Detroit was the record for draft attendance. By comparison, the Detroit metro area is 4.3 million, Nashville is 2 million and Green Bay 320,000.
"We knew there was the possibility with this campus, the way it was set up, the draw of Lambeau Field and the enthusiasm this community and state have for football, it was going to be potentially a great turnout," said Aaron Popkey, Packers director of public affairs.
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said they made a pretty conservative estimate. "We were not quite correct," he said.
Saturday's attendance of 220,000 was 15,000 more than Thursday, the first night, which usually is the biggest day.
[IMG alt="Fans gather in front of the Draft Theater to watch the third and final day of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/green-bay-press-gazette/f63de58d8b3ca6d98d7bb584dae5b425[/IMG]
"Thursday night definitely set the stage. The energy was incredible. That provided some momentum for Friday and Saturday," Popkey said.
On top of that, the first two days were the most-watched days of the draft ever, excepting the first day in 2020, when the COVID pandemic made watching a broadcast the only option.
"They proved they can do it in style," said Packers fan Charles Kirsch of Antigo, who was in attendance on Saturday.
The NFL agreed. The praise for Green Bay, including a post from Brian McCarthy, NFL vice president of communications, was abundant. "Green Bay has been so good, so good to the @NFL this week. Amazing crowd sticking around 223 picks in," he wrote.
Murphy said the NFL was pleased and surprised at the turnout, about 90% of which were probably Packers fans.
"I never ceased to be amazed by our fans," he said.
Murphy has said hundreds, if not thousands of times, that Packers fans are the best fans in all of sports, but probably not with more meaning than he did Saturday from the draft stage.
"This is awesome. They were just unbelievable," Murphy said, motioning to the crowd. "So proud of all our fans. Not only Packers fans, but all NFL fans."
It was Murphy who first suggested bringing the draft to Green Bay and continued to push the process until the NFL finally decided it was time to do so. Murphy, who will retire in July, was clearly pleased throughout, from his first appearance on the stage to announce the Packers' No. 1 pick, receiver Matthew Golden of Texas, to his handing off the 2026 draft to Dan Rooney Jr. of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On April 24, he had a little fun with the fans when he announced the pick. When he said it was something the Packers hadn't done since 2002, everyone knew that 1) it would be a receiver and 2) it would be Matthew Golden. They were cheering before the name was announced.
"That shows you how our fans follow the team so closely," Murphy said Saturday as he was leaving for home after the Brad Paisley concert that ended the event. "That was one of the more electric moments."
[IMG alt="Green Bay Packers fans chant “Go Pack, Go!” during the third and final day of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/green-bay-press-gazette/9a2bd639615515680682db2fb7b99c8e[/IMG]
Saturday was as pleasant as Friday was uncomfortable with its rain and cooler temperatures. The temperature on was in the high 50s, but warmer on the pavement surrounding Lambeau Field. And, as expected, many of the fans attending the last day of the draft were local. That's not been unusual for other drafts either. The Saturday of the draft is a day off work and it's a good day to bring the kids.
"I think it was so fitting to have a gloriously bright sunny day, smiling faces and appreciative faces," Popkey said. "From all of us involved, there is so much gratitude for the support and appreciation people have demonstrated."
Murphy said the whole draft campus, especially the NFL Draft Experience, was like Disney World for football.
"We were at Titletown. It's all part of the same complex. There's a lot to do here," said Johnny Zajac, a Minnesota Vikings fan from the Twin Cities.
More: From the Draft Haus dive bar to the best photo ops, a few of our favorite attractions at the NFL Draft Experience
More: A view of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay from those who live in the area
A couple takeaways from fan interviews: A majority of those fans stayed with friends or family, they were impressed by how well organized the draft was and how much room there was to move around, even with so many people, and how well traffic moved. Fans said getting to the draft campus, located at Lambeau Field, Titletown and the Resch complex, was easy, and getting home not much worse.
"It's impressive how they pulled it off," said Jake Hammer of Green Bay. "We were expecting traffic."
With at least 175,000 people on site each day, friction was at a minimum, even with Packers fans shouting, at the drop of a hat, that "the Bears still suck." That and "Go Pack Go!" are Green Bay rallying cries.
"I'm highly impressed with how everything is going," said Pam Racine of the town of Scott. "People are very cordial."
In fact, police reported only one arrest over the three days of the draft.
[IMG alt="Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy hands the football to Pittsburgh Steelers Director of Business Development & Strategy Daniel Rooney and the Steelers’ draft host committee at the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/green-bay-press-gazette/18ad6ecbf4f1575e4fbcc055a5ccfe6f[/IMG]
Zajac was part of a quartet of friends that included three Minnesota Vikings fans who attended all three days.
"Our voices are a little hoarse from booing the commissioner all night. It's a tradition," he said.
The friends won an opportunity to get a photo on the red carpet along the Lambeau Field visiting sideline. They were excited, even if they didn't get to go on the actual field.
Vikings fans they were, but they found Lambeau Field a welcoming environment, at least for the draft, which every team has the same record.
"It's not a competitive atmosphere. It's like a college atmosphere," said Evan Kalthoff, also of the Twin Cities.
"It's been fantastic. Nice weather. Friendly people," said Christopher Kirsch of Ashwaubenon.
His group was among the many people who found free street parking, choosing not to pay $100 or so for someone's yard, although prices came down by Saturday as supply and demand kicked in. People were parking as far as two miles away and walking to the draft campus.
They were sitting on benches, enjoying a beverage on Saturday afternoon, surrounded by Packers fans, and a random Baltimore Ravens fan, their own friend Bob Seide of Shawano.
"Kudos to the Packers and the city of Green Bay," Seide said.
Contact Richard Ryman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay earns plaudits from NFL, smashes draft attendance projection
Continue reading...
