An overdue bolus of reality finally is setting in, in the aftermath of the initial hype of Pittsburgh landing the 2026 National Football League Draft.
But a most serious question has yet to be answered.
Following story after story about all the supposedly magnificent economic benefits that will be showered upon the draft’s host city, the Tribune-Review took a much-needed step back in part of one story to detail an important point of order:
“(N)ot everyone believes the rosy economic projections of hosting large sporting events.
“University of Chicago economist Allen Sanderson has long been critical of pro-business groups’ studies and projections of how much large sporting events bring into local economies.
“He said chambers of commerce and other pro-business groups generally over-inflate the economic impacts of hosting the events.
“Sanderson said his general rule of thumb is divide economic impact figures by 10, and that produces a more accurate picture of the economic boost for local economies.”
To wit, as the Trib reminds, Visit Pittsburgh says the NFL Draft will generate about $165 million in economic benefits. “Sanderson’s equation would whittle that down to $16.5 million.”
“If you take any of these numbers from boosters, just take that number and move the decimal point one place to the left,” he told the Trib.
But the Trib also cautions that Sanderson says security — “a massive cost for large public events, especially after 9/11” – can cut sharply into any projected economic benefits.
To wit, the Trib notes how Sanderson co-authored a report for Boston while it was bidding on the 2024 Olympic games, admittedly a much larger even than the NFL Draft. “He said that shortly after he submitted the report, which noted the high expenses and a cost-benefit analysis, the city withdrew its bid.”
Which brings us back ‘round to that most serious unanswered question:
In the bid put forth by the Pittsburgh Steelers, with reported “support” by local government entities, how much public support was promised? That is, for what, and how much, are taxpayers expected to be on the hook?
Taxpayers have every right to know how much of their money has been pledged.
While there might – and we stress might – have been an acceptable rationale for keeping any bid for the 2026 draft under wraps for “competitive” purposes, now that the 2026 draft has been awarded, there’s absolutely no reason there should not be prompt and full public disclosure.
Anything less is a slap to the public that’s expected to help pay for an event whose costs should be borne primarily – and some would argue, in toto — by the NFL.
And as Jake Haulk, president-emeritus of the Allegheny Institute, reminds, “If hotels and restaurants and any other businesses believe holding an event will be a boost to their incomes, they should pony up the money to promote it.”
But, sadly, he adds, “It is an evergreen situation: The political and civic leadership have a mindset that is impervious to reason or facts.”
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
