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Afternoon Edition

May 5, 2025

President Donald Trump announced Washington, D.C., will host the 2027 NFL Draft, and league commissioner Roger Goodell said it should draw more than a million people. Here’s what we know about the 2027 iteration of an event that was once an afterthought to most fans.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], and Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]

2027 NFL Draft in Washington, D.C., Expected to Draw 1 Million Fans [[link removed]]

NFL

The 2027 NFL Draft is officially headed to Washington, D.C.

U.S. President Donald Trump made the announcement Monday afternoon from the Oval Office at the White House, alongside NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Commanders owner Josh Harris, and Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser.

The three-day event will be held across the District’s most iconic landmarks, including the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue. It is expected to draw “well over a million people,” Goodell said. That would blow by the record of 775,00 fans [[link removed]] who attended the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit.

“The draft is a celebration of one of our country’s most cherished cultural institutions, and the annual highlights for football fans everywhere,” Trump said. “Everyone in the world is going to be watching. We look forward to welcoming people from across the nation, from all over the world.”

Goodell echoed those sentiments. “We think we can have a tremendous impact on this community,” he said. “And it will not just be an event; it will be something that will show the world how far the nation’s capital has come and where it’s going.”

Harris presented Trump with a Commanders jersey and thanked him for his efforts around the draft [[link removed]] and last week’s news of the Commanders sealing a $3.8 billion deal [[link removed]] to build a new domed stadium on the grounds of the long-abandoned RFK Stadium.

Around the Nation

Washington, D.C., had been seen as a favorite to land the 2027 NFL Draft [[link removed]]. The 2026 event will be held in Pittsburgh.

Last month’s draft in Green Bay, the NFL’s smallest market, drew 600,000 fans [[link removed]], which was more than double predraft projections.

The Bills have publicly said they are interested in bringing the 2028 or 2029 NFL Draft to Buffalo, after the franchise’s new $2 billion–plus stadium opens in 2027.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LIVE

Redefining the Future

As a proud extension of the Mizuho Americas Open, Excel Sports Management and Front Office Sports introduce the Breaking Barriers Summit [[link removed]], presented by Versant Health and Delta Air Lines—designed to celebrate and empower female leaders across industries.

Inspired by the excellence, resilience, and ambition seen in women’s golf, this exclusive event unites trailblazers and changemakers for meaningful conversations about leadership, innovation, and empowerment.

Through dynamic panel discussions and networking opportunities, the summit fosters collaboration among industry leaders, inspiring the next generation of women in business.

The Breaking Barriers Summit will take place May 8 in New York City. Learn more [[link removed]].

NBA Misses a Dynasty Duel—but Gains a Star-Making Moment [[link removed]]

David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The NBA couldn’t luck out on a Lakers vs. Warriors playoff matchup despite several opportunities. A playoff series between the two big-market franchises would have secured a ratings bonanza for the league, considering their regular-season games this season [[link removed]] and their second-round meeting in 2023 broke viewership records.

It could, however, be a long-term positive outcome for the NBA as it tries to build its next wave of talent to emulate the stardom of LeBron James and Steph Curry.

Following a Game 7 win over the Rockets on Sunday, Golden State will have a second-round battle against the Timberwolves, who defeated the Lakers in five games. Minnesota star Anthony Edwards now has the opportunity to eliminate both James and Curry en route to a second straight conference finals appearance.

The 23-year-old, who outplayed both James and Luka Dončić in the first round, is already one of the league’s best and most famous American players. He was seventh in the league in jersey sales this season and fifth among Americans behind Curry, James, Jayson Tatum, and Jalen Brunson. (Dončić and Victor Wembanyama were the other two.) He’s the only U.S. player on that list who does not play for a big-market franchise.

By facing the Warriors in the second round, Edwards and the Timberwolves will keep the spotlight that came with battling the Lakers in the opening round, which included 7.34 million viewers for Game 4, the third-most-watched opening-round game since 2002 [[link removed]], according to Sports Media Watch.

The two games that eclipsed that viewership number? Games 4 and 7 of the Warriors vs. Kings series in 2023.

Golden State didn’t garner as much attention as the Lakers in the regular season—in part because the Warriors’ trade for Jimmy Butler didn’t generate nearly as much buzz as Los Angeles acquiring Dončić. But Golden State still had a couple of non-Lakers games draw more than two million viewers, including one in November that helped curb the league’s early-season ratings slump [[link removed]].

UFL, Union Sign New CBA, Which Runs Through 2026 Season [[link removed]]

Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

The UFL’s labor drama is finally over, five weeks into its second season.

The league and its union signed a new collective bargaining agreement on Monday, ending months of negotiations that included a preseason quarterback holdout [[link removed]] and talks of a strike [[link removed]] at various points. The agreement will run through the 2026 season.

“We have reached a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the UFPA,” UFL president Russ Brandon said in a release. “We look forward to continuing to work with our players to grow professional spring football at the UFL.”

The new CBA includes a $7,005 raise on minimum salaries—or around 12%—bringing them to just over $62,000 and is retroactive to the start of training camp, which opened in early March. The raise includes a $400 housing stipend. The salary increase is for all players who participate in the league’s 10 regular-season games and makes all players eligible for year-round health care. The minimum salary will increase to $64,000 for the start of the 2026 season.

The two sides originally came to an agreement in mid-April [[link removed]], but it needed approval from the UFL’s board, which consists of Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks (the network owns half the league) and fellow co-owners Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital Partners, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and his ex-wife, Dany Garcia.

Other benefits negotiated into the new CBA include expanded roster sizes and player bonuses for year-end awards.

The league is entering its second season after the USFL and XFL merged. The UFL is the latest attempt to establish a spring football league after the short-lived Alliance of American Football [[link removed]] folded in 2019.

The UFL drew promising ratings in its inaugural season with an average of 816,000 [[link removed]] viewers tuning in to the league’s 40 regular-season games with six games reaching over 1 million. But ratings are down 33% [[link removed]] three weeks into this current season.

Editors’ note: RedBird IMI, of which RedBird Capital Partners is a joint venture partner, is the majority owner of Front Office Sports.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Flau’jae Runs It Back, Michigan’s Coach Suspended, Huge NFL News

FOS illustration

Flau’jae Johnson is one of NIL’s biggest stars, and confirmed to Front Office Sports that she’s running it back with the LSU Tigers. But what does that mean for her career aspirations in both music and the WNBA?

Plus, Sherrone Moore is issued a two-game suspension for his involvement in Michigan’s scouting scandal, LASIK is offering referees free vision correction, and Caitlin Clark does it again.

You can watch the entire episode here [[link removed]].

LOUD AND CLEAR Desired Results

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

“If we don’t make the changes, there’s no way we’re even in a Game 7.”

—An anonymous Nuggets executive told ESPN [[link removed]] following the team’s first-round win over the Clippers on Saturday. Denver fired head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth with just three games left in the regular season.

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokić said team ownership, led by governor Josh Kroenke, likely made the moves to “change the energy” within the team. “He got the result he was looking for,” Jokić said. David Adelman has served as the interim head coach since Malone was let go, and could be a long-term candidate following the series win. Denver will reportedly search for a permanent GM this summer [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Real Madrid ⬆ Trent Alexander-Arnold announced Monday that he will leave Liverpool [[link removed]], the Premier League champion, this summer. The 26-year-old, who first joined Liverpool’s youth team when he was 6, is expected to sign with the Spanish powerhouse, according to multiple reports. While the deal’s financial details are still unclear, some reports have indicated a potential five-year deal worth about $10 million per year [[link removed]] could be in the works, while others have reported it’s a six-year deal [[link removed]].

Will Hardy ⬆ The Jazz have agreed to a six-year contract extension for their head coach, according to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania. Utah gave Hardy the extension despite an 85–161 record over three years as head coach, including a league-worst 17–65 this season. The Jazz were fined $100,000 this year [[link removed]] amid tanking suspicions.

Scottie Scheffler ⬆ The golfer tied a PGA Tour scoring record Sunday, needing only 253 strokes to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at 31 under par. Scheffler, who made $62 million in 2024, takes home $1.78 million for his first win of 2025.

Rob Blake ⬇ The Los Angeles Kings fired their GM Monday, following a first-round playoff exit, losing their series against the Oilers 4–2. Blake had led the NHL team for eight seasons.

Conversation Starters Caitlin Clark signed autographs for Brazil’s national women’s basketball team after the Indiana Fever defeated them in a preseason game at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa on Sunday. Check it out [[link removed]]. Jayson Werth, a 15-year MLB veteran, told FOS at the Kentucky Derby that he tried to pitch the torpedo bats about a decade ago. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer flew 125 fans to Denver to support [[link removed]] the team at Ball Arena for Game 7 against the Nuggets. The team, however, lost 120–101. Editors’ Picks Nike Wants to Pull Off the First Women’s Sub-4:00 Mile [[link removed]]by Dennis Young [[link removed]]Experts speak on whether Nike’s “moonshot” is realistic or a gimmick. Pro Refs Get Offered Free Lasik for Better Calls. Some Took It [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Some pro officials have sprung for the offer for free corrective surgery. Why Syracuse Football Coach Fran Brown Is Signing With an NIL Agency [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]“There’s no better time to do it than right now,” Brown says. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], Alex Schiffer [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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