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Days before the NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh, Point State Park finalized an agreement with the league outlining how it will handle fan events during the three-day celebration expected to draw massive crowds.
Park manager Jake Weiland, marking a decade in the role, has been overseeing preparations for the event, which is projected to bring 500,000 to 700,000 visitors to the 26-acre park and North Shore.
“Every year has a new, new challenge. We welcome those challenges. This challenge is a fantastic opportunity in 2026 to host two significant events: the NFL Draft Experience South, and then on June 27, the governor has announced the America 250 concert series,” Weiland said. “[The NFL Draft] is the official kickoff to the summer season [at Point State Park].”
Last March, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources entered a letter of commitment with the NFL detailing which parties are fiscally responsible for renovations and cleaning up. DCNR will invoice the local organizing committee, VisitPittsburgh, for any fees associated with park use.
Weiland said an updated agreement between DCNR and the NFL was signed within the past two weeks. The NFL did not return an inquiry seeking comment.
“Everybody's been openly communicating, sharing plans, sharing ideas, since the NFL Draft was announced to be here in Pittsburgh over a year ago,” Weiland said. “We've hosted large sports events, like most recently, the Stanley Cup celebration with the Pittsburgh Penguins.”
Fan experiences at the park will include appearances by current and former NFL players, a red carpet for draft picks, and a large screen displaying the main stage outside Acrisure Stadium.
Similar agreements between the NFL and the Sports & Exhibition Authority and Stadium Authority were signed in February 2024. When the Pittsburgh Media Partnership Newsroom made a public records request for an updated agreement in mid-March, no new details were available.
Weiland said one of the largest public safety measures at the Point includes closing access to the three rivers near the fountain.
“There is a hard enclosure; they are going to be permanent,” Weiland said. “There is a larger safety plan that does require dispensing to be in place.”
Point State Park will be fenced throughout the three-day event, with various security check points. Additional park rangers from across the state will be at the Point during the draft.
“At times backfilling those positions are covered by assisting rangers from other facilities to make sure that all Commonwealth property is being maintained and covered by law enforcement officers,” Weiland said. “But in addition to the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Fishing Boat Commission have really stepped up to support this event, as well as the Department of Transportation.”
Pennsylvania State Police Troop B Public Information Officer Rocco Gagliardi said last month that they will be pulling resources, like individual troopers, from surrounding troops A, C, and D during the draft week.
A new cell tower was unveiled in Harrisburg earlier this week to strengthen emergency communications and bolster safety for visitors, residents, and first responders. The 100-foot tower is mounted on a towable trailer and can be moved throughout the state as needed.
The Point Park University Police Department have also been meeting with the NFL and city of Pittsburgh officials ahead of the event. The university’s core jurisdiction encompasses property from Stanwix Street to Smithfield Street and from Fort Pitt Boulevard to Fifth Avenue.
Police Chief Jeff Besong said that within this area, the university is enhancing security measures, including “strict access control at all university buildings... and continuous monitoring of our extensive camera network by our dispatchers.”
Mutual aid agreements with the Pittsburgh police allow Point Park police to extend assistance outside of their primary jurisdiction when necessary, and they plan to do so during the NFL Draft, Besong said. Classes have also been transitioned to remote learning for the week to “minimize disruptions and ensure academic continuity.”
PEMA spokesperson Jeff Jumper said the agency has been in communication with local and state partners since the fall to “ensure readiness of Pennsylvania assets ahead of the NFL Draft and other events scheduled throughout 2026.”
One of those assets is the Urban Search and Rescue Strike Task Force (PA-ST1), based in Pittsburgh, which assists emergency management agencies in structural collapse rescues. The team consists of about 100 volunteer members, many of whom will be working their day jobs during the draft.
Jumper said Pennsylvania Task Force 1, located in Philadelphia, will be on standby to provide additional equipment and resources in the event of a structural collapse, as it does for other large-scale events in the state.
Weiland said that after the NFL Draft, much of the agreement will be unredacted, and more information about the public safety preparations in place during the event can be released.
Erin Yudt is a reporter with the Pittsburgh Media Partnership Newsroom, part of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University. She most recently was a multimedia content producer and digital reporter at WKBN in Youngstown and is a graduate of Point Park University. Reach her at erin.yudt@pointpark.edu.
The PMP Newsroom is a regional news service that focuses on government and enterprise reporting in southwestern Pennsylvania. Find out more information on foundation and corporate funders here.
Header image: Outside Point State Park on April 15, 2026. The park will remain closed throughout the NFL Draft. Erin Yudt / Pittsburgh Media Partnership Newsroom.
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