The NFL Combine will stay in Indianapolis in the short-term—as it rightfully should.
The NFL announced that the NFL Combine will remain in Indianapolis at least through 2024, as the other potential bid attempts—including from Los Angeles and Dallas recently fell short in comparison:
The NFL has announced that Indianapolis will host the NFL Combine in both 2023 and 2024.
The Combine stays in Indy. As it should.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 24, 2022
Indianapolis has hosted the league’s perennial scouting event since 1987, and given its downtown’s close proximity to medical personnel/facilities and relative ease to be able to quickly navigate from hotels, restaurants, and to Lucas Oil Stadium alike, and it never made logical sense as to why it was surprisingly open for bidding to begin with (besides money).
The NFL can dress up the NFL Draft as a marquee event that travels from city to city each year, but there’s only so much glitz and glamor to beheld from muscular athletes performing tests in compression tanks and shorts.
The NFL Combine should be about efficiency first and foremost, and that’s what Indianapolis has consistently brought to the event on an annual basis—as its unheralded host, albeit always with a hint of Midwestern charm (and lots of steakhouse options downtown).
Around league circles, Indianapolis keeping the combine for the next two years was met with both steady approval and high praise:
Announcement that Scouting Combine is staying in Indianapolis is just common sense prevailing. If league polled football people from all 32 teams this decision would get almost unanimous support. Indy is best—and most efficient—host city for that event.
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) May 24, 2022
Indianapolis is the right choice. The city has always been a great host for the Combine.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) May 24, 2022
Awesome! This is great news not only for Indianapolis but for the NFL as well. Indy is no doubt the best and most convenient place to hold the Combine. https://t.co/ZMzQMbrwzk
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) May 24, 2022
The NFL Combine will stay in Indianapolis for at least the next 2 more years, the league announces.
Perfect. Indianapolis works beautifully for the Combine. Everything flows. You don’t need a car to get everywhere you need to go downtown. No need to mess with an ideal situation.
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) May 24, 2022
NFL announced that the Scouting Combine will stay in Indianapolis for the next two seasons. Great news for all involved.
Something new coming: Indy will add a Combine fan experience outside Lucas Oil Stadium for fans to enjoy prior to the on-field workouts.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 24, 2022
The NFL needs to continue to prioritize the purpose of the Combine over the temptation to turn it into even more of a money machine, no matter how hard Jerry Jones tries to push it that way. https://t.co/Ln4n1ArvIo
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 24, 2022
Indy has done a great job hosting the combine, no reason to change that. https://t.co/Yag7ySv9zr
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 24, 2022