NFL draft sets new first-day attendance record
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A view of the draft theater during Round One of the NFL draft in Pittsburgh. Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images
The NFL draft's first full day brought big crowds, packed park-and-rides and lively fan scenes across Downtown and the North Shore.
The big picture: Pittsburgh set a new first-day attendance record with 320,000 fans, commissioner Roger Goodell announced Thursday night, surpassing Detroit's previous record of 275,000.
Context: The NFL counts draft attendance by tallying each entry through security.
- One person attending all three days is counted three times, and stepping out and reentering, or moving between NFL Draft Experience attractions on the North Shore and the Point adds another count, KDKA reports.
Zoom in: About 25% of Pittsburgh Regional Transit's park-and-rides filled up by 2pm on Thursday, PRT spokesperson Adam Brandolph told Axios.
- The ones along the light-rail (Washington Junction, Dormont and Mt. Lebanon) and in the North Hills (McCandless and Ross) filled up by noon.
- PRT on Thursday had to secure 200 more spots at the Monroeville Mall.
The free Football Flyers will run daily from 10am to 1am. Buses will arrive every 15 minutes on Friday and every 30 minutes on Saturday.
- Chrissy drove Downtown at 11am and parked at the Smithfield-Liberty garage for $40. Some city parking was as low as $25 a day. Check ParkPGH for rates and availability.
- Alexis parked in Market Square for $100.
- Rivers Casino cut daily parking rates from $250 to $100 as increased use of public transit and rideshares eased demand, TribLive reported.
Ryan biked from Bloomfield, and it took only 20 minutes.
- Bike parking was at the back end of the Wyndham.
The vibe: Market Square crowds enjoyed live music, games such as shuffleboard and drinks at the pop-up pub.
- Security checks to get into Market Square were lax — just a quick bag check.
The Pitt Block Party at Arts Landing in the Cultural District runs from 9am to 6pm Friday and Saturday.
- We arrived at noon. It wasn't too crowded; fans played cornhole, relaxed on the lawn and enjoyed vendors with very short lines.
We ended our day at Point State Park for the Great Pennsylvania Mascot Race, part of the NFL Draft Experience, which runs noon-10pm Friday and 9am-6pm Saturday.
- The Point also hosts the Steelers' six Super Bowl trophies, a Steelers Country bar and local vendors including Roaming Bean Coffee, Street Fries, and Secretos de Mis Abuelos.
The walk from the Point to Acrisure via the Roberto Clemente Bridge took about 25 minutes.
Chrissy's thought bubble: Crowds were light before 1pm and picked up by 3pm but still felt manageable. Everyone stayed jovial at Point State Park, with Steelers and Birds fans trading friendly jabs.
- Parking Downtown was a breeze. It was clear that people listened to city officials' warning not to drive. Higher parking rates and more remote workers likely helped keep traffic down, too.
- I left the garage at 10:10pm and was home in Forest Hills by 10:30pm.
Yes, but: The draft theater hit capacity by 8pm, sending fans to Acrisure and Point State Park to watch on big screens. Expect long lines at bars and restaurants and sizable crowds in the heart of the action.
- PRT announced late Thursday that the large exodus of fans caused a back-up at the North Side light-rail station, but trains continued to move throughout the night.
Pro tips: Official draft campus activities at Acrisure and Point State Park are cashless, and every entrance has high-security screening.
- The NFL clear bag policy is also in effect at these sites.
- Entry is free, but you must register in advance through the NFL One Pass app.
What's next: A Pop-Tart mascot sacrifice at Nova Place on Friday. Doors open at 1pm.