Friday marked 195 days until the start of the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.The “visual identity” of the 2026 draft was unveiled Friday. The countdown clock now displays the official logo of the draft, but branding as a whole is much more complex than that emblem shows.The host committee said it’s inspired by Pittsburgh’s industry and one iconic artist, Andy Warhol.“Come April 2026, Pittsburgh will be front and center on the world stage,” said Jerad Bacher, president and CEO for Visit Pittsburgh.The host committee of the draft estimates 50 million viewers around the world will tune in, and hundreds of thousands of people will be on site.“We hope somewhere between half a million, a million people over the course of the weekend,” said Ryan Huzjak, senior VP of business operations for the Steelers.This team took notes from drafts of the past and partnered with the NFL to design a colorful aesthetic that draft visitors can expect to see.Bacher said it comes with a deeper meaning.“We wanted the branding of this event to be very much a nod to our industrial past, but also really focusing on what makes Pittsburgh special today. So, leading into our tech industry, our pop art, our culture, making sure that all of that was really baked into a brand,” Bacher said.If you look closely, you’ll notice the inspiration for the design comes from Pittsburgh icon Andy Warhol.“You’ll also notice what looks like the pulls of a squeegee for screen printing, which again goes back into that pop art esthetic,” said Patrick Fisher, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.The color palette was pulled from “The Strip” mural on Penn Avenue.Troy Schooley, of P3R, said the weekly logistics meetings have already started in order to work out the most efficient way for guests to get to and from the draft.“Point State Park is obviously going to have a lot of the fan activation. The North Shore is going to have the stage where people are going to be able to roam freely. The city is going to be alive. It’s a Steelers game times 10,” Schooley said.Members of the host committee told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that the final day of the draft weekend will be a celebration of Pittsburgh, and more specific details will be made public closer to April.
PITTSBURGH —
Friday marked 195 days until the start of the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
The “visual identity” of the 2026 draft was unveiled Friday. The countdown clock now displays the official logo of the draft, but branding as a whole is much more complex than that emblem shows.
The host committee said it’s inspired by Pittsburgh’s industry and one iconic artist, Andy Warhol.
“Come April 2026, Pittsburgh will be front and center on the world stage,” said Jerad Bacher, president and CEO for Visit Pittsburgh.
The host committee of the draft estimates 50 million viewers around the world will tune in, and hundreds of thousands of people will be on site.
“We hope somewhere between half a million, a million people over the course of the weekend,” said Ryan Huzjak, senior VP of business operations for the Steelers.
This team took notes from drafts of the past and partnered with the NFL to design a colorful aesthetic that draft visitors can expect to see.
Bacher said it comes with a deeper meaning.
“We wanted the branding of this event to be very much a nod to our industrial past, but also really focusing on what makes Pittsburgh special today. So, leading into our tech industry, our pop art, our culture, making sure that all of that was really baked into a brand,” Bacher said.
If you look closely, you’ll notice the inspiration for the design comes from Pittsburgh icon Andy Warhol.
“You’ll also notice what looks like the pulls of a squeegee for screen printing, which again goes back into that pop art esthetic,” said Patrick Fisher, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.
The color palette was pulled from “The Strip” mural on Penn Avenue.
Troy Schooley, of P3R, said the weekly logistics meetings have already started in order to work out the most efficient way for guests to get to and from the draft.
“Point State Park is obviously going to have a lot of the fan activation. The North Shore is going to have the stage where people are going to be able to roam freely. The city is going to be alive. It’s a Steelers game times 10,” Schooley said.
Members of the host committee told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that the final day of the draft weekend will be a celebration of Pittsburgh, and more specific details will be made public closer to April.