The countdown to the 2025 NFL Draft officially will begin Tuesday, May 14, with a ceremonial Draft Handoff from Michigan to Wisconsin, as a themed football arrives in Milwaukee from Detroit via the Lake Express Ferry from Muskegon, Mich., and is carried north to Green Bay to arrive in the Lambeau Field Atrium where a Countdown Clock will be unveiled.
An event that lightly borrows from the traditions of the Olympics and Super Bowl, but with a football instead of a torch or trophy, the Draft Handoff will see the football begin its Wisconsin journey in an area that is rich in pro football heritage, with early NFL teams located in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha, as well the 1940 NFL Draft held at the then-Schroeder Hotel in Milwaukee, Dec. 9, 1939. Additionally, the Green Bay Packers played a portion of their home schedule in Milwaukee from 1933-94.
In a further homage to the unique history of the team, the cherished Packers bike kid tradition that began in 1958 at training camp will play a role in the Draft Handoff as bicycles will help transport the football to Green Bay. The special bike journey, Pedal to the Draft, will highlight Wisconsin's outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities, an attractive component of the state's tourism draw that will be on prominent display to multitudes of visitors next April.
"The Green Bay Packers are honored to bring the energy and excitement of the NFL Draft to Wisconsin as we step up preparations to host the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "Football fans from around the country and world will be making their way to Green Bay to attend the NFL Draft and appreciate the history and traditions of the Packers. They'll also get to experience all that the state of Wisconsin has to offer and the Pedal To The Draft is a fun way to get us started and celebrate both."
The day's events will begin with the arrival of the 11:45 a.m. Lake Express Ferry at its Milwaukee location. After remarks from Murphy and NFL and state officials, a small group of bicyclists, consisting of riders from the Packers, Travel Wisconsin, Wisconsin Bike Fed and Green Bay-area bike shops and bicycle advocates, will depart on the Pedal to the Draft to Green Bay. The bicyclists will pass by and make brief stops at several prominent locations on the way, highlighting the bikeability of Wisconsin through its beautiful trails and roadways.
In Green Bay, the bicyclists will ride along Armed Forces Drive and stop at the Packers' Ray Nitschke Field on the way to the Atrium. To celebrate the bike kid training camp tradition, Green Bay-area bike kids are invited to join the ride from Nitschke Field to the Atrium. Interested bike kids should be in position at the Armed Forces Drive entrance to Nitschke Field at 6 p.m. The group will then cross Oneida Street and ride into the Atrium for a ceremony that will unveil the 2025 NFL Draft Countdown Clock.
Members of the public are invited to attend the unveiling of the Countdown Clock, with the event scheduled to begin at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to follow Packers social media and packers.com to track the progress of #PedalToTheDraft as the bicyclists make their way to Green Bay.
The 2025 NFL Draft, set for April 24-26, is projected to attract approximately 250,000 attendees over the course of the three-day event and have an economic impact of $94 million in Wisconsin, including approximately $20 million in the Green Bay area.
