How Pennsylvania Will Be the Epicenter of Sports in 2026

One side is known for black and yellow, the other a mix of orange, green and red. One side was built on a reputation of steel and the other on a reputation of grit.

More than 280 miles stretch from one end of the commonwealth (do NOT call it a state) to the other. Through its mix of metropolitan regions and small-town Americana of one-way roads and no-stop-light towns, all of Pennsylvania will be on display in a way it seldom has been in the coming year.

“Pennsylvania is quite quickly becoming the epicenter of the sports world,” said Anne Ryan, deputy secretary in the office of tourism for the commonwealth’s Department of Community and Economic Development. “There is no other state in 2026 offering this amount of events.”

The NFL Draft, PGA Championship, MLB All-Star Game, FIFA World Cup — it’s all in this part of the country in 2026. And yes, within the 250th anniversary celebrations of the United States next summer there will be more than a little Pennsylvania involved.

“We want to tell everyone about all the things we offer here in the commonwealth,” said VisitPA Executive Director Kaitie Burger, “and welcome them back in years to come.”

You could even say that this year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, part of a VisitPA trip SportsTravel took in June, was the opening course of a menu that started with a pepperoni roll in the Strip District and finished with a Primanti’s and an IC light.

Counting Down in Pittsburgh

The countdown clock sits in the middle of Pittsburgh’s stadium district, with the Steelers’ Acrisure Stadium within a half-mile walk of the Pirates’ PNC Park. Ticking down by the second, it’s a constant reminder of the time left before the North Shore hosts the NFL Draft.

“The number is still high enough that it’s exciting,” said Jim Britt, vice president of SportsPittsburgh. “I’m sure as maybe we get down to two digits on there, it will drive some anxiety, but we have a remarkable team that’s working on the project from the Steelers, Visit Pittsburgh and we’re in incredible hands with the NFL.”

The Steel City is set to bring between 500,000 and 700,000 fans to Pittsburgh between April 23–25, 2026. The main portion of the event is expected to incorporate Pittsburgh’s North Shore and Point State Park, as well as Acrisure Stadium.

“We’ve seen what they do at the Super Bowl,” said Britt of the NFL. “We’ve seen what they do at the draft every year. They are the best of the best, and it’s our role in this to make sure that they have the local resources to make this an authentically Pittsburgh event.”

The Sister Bridges-inspired steel beam holding up the countdown clock features 212 engraved notches. One side represents regional programs that make up the area’s football legacy and the other showcases Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods. The draft marks a full circle moment for the city and the Steelers, as the beginnings of what would become the first draft took place in 1936 at the Fort Pitt Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh’s history may be of steel but the city is promoting its transformation into a tech and medical hub of the East Coast. That said, its history is part of its pride, from the stanchion of the old Three Rivers’ Stadium that still stands near the current home of the Steelers to the team’s Hall of Honor Museum. The museum, located within the stadium, stands not only as a telling of the team’s history but in many ways the history of the NFL with 30 Pro Football Hall of Famers born and raised in Western PA. In addition, 11 other NFL markets and 35 NCAA Division I football programs are within a half day’s drive.

“We are a year away from the largest event we’ve ever had,” Britt said. “And as you stand here right now, looking at this skyline, the river, you see the barges and the boats coming by, it’s impossible to not be excited about what this event will mean for the city.”

The World Comes to Philadelphia

Take one final sip of that coffee from Sheetz as you head east because once the draft is over and the calendar turns from April to May, it’s going to be One Big Hot Wawa Summer.

First up in May is the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, May 14–17, the second time the major has been at the course in Newtown Square. The club, which opened in 1928, will host the major one year after Valley Forge was the home for the PGA Tour Truist Championship at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, the oldest country club in the United States.

“We’ll have 200,000 next year for this championship,” said Mike Lewers, general chairman for the 2026 PGA Championship. “We sold out our daily ticket (capacity). There’s a ton of pent-up demand in Philadelphia — we saw it for the Truist. We’re ready for a major championship at Aronimink.”

Ryan, while at the U.S. Open in Oakmont, said golf in Pennsylvania is a $6.3 billion industry.

“It’s variety, it’s quality — across the state, Pennsylvania plays second to no one when it comes to golf courses,” Lewers said.

“(Pennsylvania is) unapologetic and rough around the edges in the most endearing way and when it comes to golf, we bring the polish and prestige,” Ryan added. “That juxtaposition is one thing that I love about Pennsylvania.”

Golf fans can be rowdy at times, true. But there may be no greater juxtaposition than having the golf industry heading out of Philadelphia in time for the international soccer fan base that will descend upon the City of Brotherly Love for six matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Five will be in the group stage and one in the Round of 16 ever-so-conveniently scheduled for the Fourth of July.

“The international component of FIFA World Cup is where the opportunity lies,” said Meg Kane, host city executive for Philadelphia Soccer 2026. “We are sharing hosting (East Coast) duties with New York/New Jersey, Boston, Toronto. We are an incredibly attractive destination because of our accessibility.”

Kane also noted the region will host a Fan Festival for 25,000 people per day at East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill and plans are being explored to set three additional fan zones across the commonwealth. The region could also could potentially have team base camps both in Philadelphia and nearby Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“Seventy percent of people who will travel for the FIFA World Cup don’t have tickets to a match,” Ryan said. “People are looking to be in the environment. Philadelphia, where we are located geographically, you don’t get another host city (to the West) until Atlanta or Kansas City. We have a really large part of people who might want to feel that World Cup energy and experience the environment. We’re going to be able to offer that.”

Once the World Cup carnival leaves town with the Round of 16 game on July 4, the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be in Philadelphia in what marks yet another Midsummer Classic aligned with American history for the city, which hosted in 1976 on the nation’s bicentennial.

The game will mark the city’s fifth time hosting and the first time the event will be staged at Citizens Bank Park, which opened in 2004. Shibe Park staged the Midsummer Classic in 1943 and 1952 while Veteran Stadium held the honors in 1976 and 1996.

“We’ve been at the table with Welcome America, with the city, with the Phillies, on how is this going to look like and how are we going to create this incredible customer experience,” Kane said. “We might have somebody coming to Philadelphia who’s a die-hard history buff who wants to go to Independence Hall, visit the Liberty Bell. So how do we make them feel welcome? We want people coming to the All-Star Game to come a little early, people who come to the World Cup to stay a little longer. Our goal is to get as many visitors to use Philadelphia as their hub for activity in 2026.”