Ticktock: Officials unveil 2026 NFL Draft countdown clock

Football fans wondering how long they have to wait until Pittsburgh hosts the 2026 NFL Draft can now stop by the North Shore for a to-the-second countdown.

The 18-foot tall clock — now showing just over 346 days — sits in the sprawling lawn across from Stage AE.

The massive clock was draped with a black cloth during a news conference on the North Shore ahead of its formal unveiling.

Removing the cloth revealed an LED screen showing the countdown beneath the NFL logo.

The clock sits atop a golden steel beam, meant to resemble the city’s bridges and serve as a nod to its steelmaking past.

“Today with the unveiling of this clock we are officially on the clock ourselves,” proclaimed Jerad Bachar, CEO of local tourism agency Visit Pittsburgh.

The clock is counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the draft’s official kickoff at 8 p.m. April 23. The draft is scheduled to run through April 25.

Members of the committee organizing the draft — which includes the tourism agency, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials, representatives of the city’s sports teams and various businesses and nonprofits — recently visited Green Bay, Wisc., to watch the 2025 draft unfold. They’ve been discussing what they learned during that visit, Bachar said, as efforts ramp up to prepare the city for the major spectacle.

The NFL will send representatives for a planning visit in June, Bachar said.

While officials are working on logistics, Bachar said he wants Pittsburghers to be enthusiastic about the upcoming event.

He urged people to come take photos with the clock, which is meant to drum up excitement in the months leading up to the draft.

Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods are listed on one side of the beam that holds up the LED display. On the other is a list of WPIAL football programs, Bachar said.

Officials revealed the clock on the North Shore Great Lawn, marking the first public-facing step toward hosting the draft next spring.

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato — whose 40th birthday coincides with first day of the draft — said the event is expected to generate $100 million to $200 million in economic impact.

“One of the most important things we’re doing here with the draft is that we are giving local vendors and small businesses an opportunity to be a part of something big,” she said.

Already, two local businesses got involved in designing and creating the clock: Actual Size and Carpenter Connection.

Bachar, who donned an NFL Draft pin for Monday’s announcement, could not immediately provide an estimate of the giant clock’s cost. It came from the host committee’s budget, he said.

The event — expected to be among the largest Pittsburgh has ever hosted — will stretch from the North Shore across the Allegheny River to Point State Park.

High-end estimates have suggested up to a million people could flock to Pittsburgh for the NFL’s marquee off-season event. Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey reiterated his estimate of 1 million people Monday.

The mayor said his goal is to make Pittsburgh welcoming for everyone who attends the draft, from near or far.

“We want to market that Pittsburgh is home and everybody belongs here,” Gainey said.

The draft will bring an extra spotlight for the city, said Steelers President Art Rooney II. He hopes to spend the next year showcasing how fun Pittsburgh is for visitors and residents alike in the lead-up to the draft.

“It’ll be a busy year but it’ll be a great year for the city of Pittsburgh and for Western Pennsylvania,” Rooney said.

It’s not immediately clear what will happen to the massive clock after the draft, Bachar said, but the LED screen could be repurposed to show different images or messages.

“It’ll still have a life beyond the draft,” he said.