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After the NFL considered the possibility of taking the annual scouting combine on the road in the upcoming years, the league decided to maintain the status quo.
Per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Indianapolis tourism officials announced on Thursday that an agreement has been reached to continue hosting the NFL scouting combine through 2026. The deal with the city was originally set to come to an end after the 2025 combine.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, members of the NFL community “have been overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the combine in Indianapolis.” The league reached an agreement with the city on a two-year extension in 2022, and Thursday’s deal through 2026 marks the second consecutive one-year extension.
Before Thursday’s agreement, cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Minneapolis all “expressed a desire to some varying degree” to host the combine in the future, per Jones. However, it’s still unclear if any city placed a bid to try to have it moved from Indianapolis.
The NFL scouting combine has been held in Indianapolis since 1987, as its downtown location created a centralized hub for the event with Lucas Oil Stadium, several hotels and access to local hospitals all in the same area.
“Indianapolis and the NFL Combine have a proud history together, so we’re thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with Visit Indy, the Indianapolis Colts, and the local community for this 2026 event,” NFL EVP Peter O’Reilly said in a statement to CBS Sports. “Our partners in Indy have successfully hosted the football evaluation process for decades, and recently, we’ve collectively worked to grow and evolve the in-person fan experience, bringing tens of thousands of fans closer to the league’s future stars.”
The 2025 NFL scouting combine will be held from Feb. 27 to March 2.
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