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NFL, Packers and city officials preview 2025 Draft campus and fan experience at council meeting
Summary
NFL and Green Bay partners presented a detailed preview of the April 24–26, 2025 Draft campus layout, schedule, security plans and transportation strategy, including a new NFL 1 Pass fan registration app and phased road-closure timetable beginning March 29.
Representatives from the National Football League, the Green Bay Packers and local partners presented a multi-hour briefing to the Common Council on March 4 outlining plans for the 2025 NFL Draft events to be held at Lambeau Field and the surrounding campus.
The presentation covered production and broadcast plans, the three-day schedule, a campus map and phased road-closure and load-in timetable. John Barker (NFL global event operations) described the draft theater and a temporary set inspired by Lambeau Field. Ashley Hamilton (production) and the operations team laid out production hours and described the set, while the NFL and Packers representatives emphasized that the site and programming would highlight local and Wisconsin cultural elements.
The nut graf: Presenters said the draft will be staged as a campus with a large general-admission fan area, a temporary draft theater, on-field programming at Lambeau Field, and a family-focused fan festival (the “Draft Experience”) anchored in Titletown. Key operational dates include: load-in starting March 29, a site lockdown and security sweep on April 23, and event days April 24–26. Gates and draft-experience hours were given: April 24 gates open at noon (theater production 7–10 p.m.); April 25 gates noon (theater 6–11 p.m.); April 26 gates 9 a.m. (theater 11 a.m.–6 p.m.).
Highlights included the NFL 1 Pass registration app (launched the day of the presentation) for free general-admission access, a clear-bag policy, magnetometer/X-ray screening at entries, a temporary flight restriction banning recreational drones during event days, and a large security presence including explosive-detection canines. NFL Security’s Ralph Dennis said there were no credible threats identified at the time of the briefing. The NFL’s community-inclusion and procurement teams said they were working to involve local restaurants and suppliers and to create legacy initiatives that will continue past the event.
Transportation and parking plans were discussed by Discover Green Bay, which described neighborhood parking zones, charter and shuttle coordination, and a parking survey with “nearly 300 responses” used to build fan guidance. The operations team said it will try to minimize community impacts by phasing build and closures and reopening roads as soon as safe after load-out. Food and concessions will include a Wisconsin supper-club experience and local restaurants (local vendors keep 100% of their proceeds), and NFL Shop merchandise will be available on site.
Ending: Council members thanked presenters and asked a small number of follow-up questions about staffing, ticketing and how a successful execution might affect future event bids. The presentation concluded with general support from council and a reminder that detailed traffic, parking and other fan-facing information will continue to be published in the NFL 1 Pass app and on Discover Green Bay channels.
