CHICAGO — After spending two years in Chicago, the NFL Draft is headed back east, this time to Philadelphia, according to media reports.
The league is expected to announce on Thursday the newest location for the draft, which has become a traveling show since leaving New York City three years ago, according to the Associated Press.
The draft left New York City due to a scheduling conflict with Radio City Music Hall and a "strong bid" from Chicago, the Associated Press reports.
In Chicago, the NFL ballooned its annual prime-time TV broadcast into a "draft town," including a family friendly festival in Grant Park and a red carpet event outside the Auditorium Theatre, where the actual draft was held.
The NFL also blanketed Chicago with its "Chi Town is Draft Town" marketing campaign.
Despite its success in Chicago, NFL officials signaled that the draft would likely be on the move in 2017. That didn't stop Mayor Rahm Emanuel from making a push for a third draft in Chicago.
"Every [other] city will be 'NFL village.' If you want a town, you got to come to Chicago," Emanuel told reporters in April. "No other city can offer you Grant Park. No other city knows how to put on big events that you want."
Football fans from across the country came to Chicago for the "draft town."
City officials said that last year's draft delivered an overall $82 million economic impact, $44 million of which was direct spending.
The Chicago Park District gave the NFL a 97 percent discount on its Grant Park rental this year after letting it use Grant Park for free last year.
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