'No issues, all smiles': Duggan, Whitmer laud Detroit for setting NFL Draft attendance record

All eyes were on Detroit Saturday as thousands of fans broke the NFL Draft attendance records on their way into the city.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan praised the flow of events for having "no issues, all smiles," on Saturday after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the 2024 NFL Draft had officially set a three-day attendance record.

"We set out to change our image nationally," Duggan said. "I'm looking at the Wall Street Journal and USA Today today, and all it is is praise for Detroit and how the city's turned around, as well as how well we're in the Draft."

As of Saturday evening, 775,000 people made their way down to the Motor City to take part in the week's festivities, breaking the record of 600,000 set by the city of Nashville in 2019.

Detroit smashed the single-day record on night one (Thursday) when 275,000 people packed into Campus Martius for the opening round and continued its exuberance into Friday night, where the total eclipsed 500,000. The draft was at-capacity each of the first two nights and was forced to turn people away.

"It has been a historic week here in the great city of Detroit," Whitmer said. "We have shown the world what the Motor City is all about."

In 2022, when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited the city after Detroit was awarded the draft, he challenged Detroit to break the record.

"You have your challenge, Detroit," Goodell said.

It appears Detroiters took that personally.

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi