NFL Draft: Pittsburgh and CMU in the Spotlight

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

When the NFL draft comes to a host city, it creates a national platform for that city to tell its story. This is Pittsburgh’s moment to show who we are today.

Over the past several months, Carnegie Mellon has been working with the Steelers, the NFL and others to shape a series of activities around Draft Week. The goal is simple: to bring the story of Pittsburgh’s innovation economy — and the impact of our work — to a new and broader audience.

This week brings a level of attention we rarely see. We intend to use it with purpose.

From artificial intelligence and robotics to data science and human performance, our community is advancing how sports are played, analyzed and experienced. At Carnegie Mellon, we are using this opportunity to highlight how our research, our people and our partnerships are contributing to the future of sports and the world around us.

During Draft Week, key activities include:

  • Powering the Future of Sport (April 22): A daylong showcase will bring together investors, government officials, technologists, startups and sports leaders at the CMU Robotics Innovation Center at Hazelwood Green. Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis will open the event, which will culminate in a national AI startup competition, led by CMU’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and Pittsburgh’s AI Strike Team. Participants include entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban, Dick’s Sporting Goods Chairman Ed Stack, U.S. Senator Dave McCormick and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and the day’s programming is intended to elevate the work of CMU researchers and their cutting-edge innovations in physical AI.
  • CMU Joins NFL IQ: Through a partnership with the NFL, researchers affiliated with the Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Center will be contributing to this year’s draft. Next week, their analyses will be added to the NFL IQ AI chat tool, which enables users to enter queries related to draft prospects, team needs, Combine results, free agency opportunities and more. The center, led by professors Ron Yurko and Rebecca Nugent, is also gaining broader recognition for its cutting-edge work on the impact of data on the sports industry. A recent Post-Gazette article highlights CMU’s leadership in educating students on data-driven decision making and the role of our Grand Challenge Seminar program in Dietrich College.
  • CMU on the NFL Draft Stage (April 25): On Saturday, the NFL has invited CMU to participate in a stage moment that will showcase the work of our talented university community members and our track record of translating research in science and engineering into real-world impact.

Draft Week will also bring some logistical challenges, particularly during the final week of classes. The university will remain open and in-person classes will proceed as scheduled, but we encourage flexibility where needed and ask that you plan ahead for travel disruptions across the city. Read about campus operations and transportation changes during draft week.

Draft Week offers a rare opportunity to share Pittsburgh’s story with a global audience. For Carnegie Mellon, it is a chance to show how our work improves the human condition, strengthens the region’s economy and advances our nation’s competitiveness.

Thank you for your flexibility during the week, and for all that you do — every day — to support Carnegie Mellon’s mission and impact.

(Here we go, Steelers!)

Sincerely, 

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President's Chair