The NFL has informed its teams that it will accept bids from cities other than Indianapolis to host its annual scouting combine beginning in 2023, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
According to the source, all NFL teams will have the opportunity to let the league know whether they have interest in hosting the combine as well as upcoming NFL drafts and Super Bowls.
The combine has been held in Indianapolis since 1987, though only the medical portion was held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2022 combine is scheduled to be held there as well. Indianapolis is expected to make a bid to continue hosting the event, but starting in 2023, it will have competition.
The Indianapolis Business Journal was the first to report the development, which is the result of the NFL’s continued push to evolve its marquee events. The success the league has had in rotating the location of the draft in recent years is part of the motivation for trying the same thing with the combine.