(TNS) —As golfers teed off during opening day of this year’s 125th U.S. Open Championship, state officials inside of a tent overlooking the course’s 16th hole shared their vision for a landmark year of sports tourism in Pennsylvania.

In 2026, the state will host four events expected to inject billions of dollars into the regional economy and attract hordes of visitors from across the country:

—The NFL Draft will be in Pittsburgh April 23-25.

—The PGA Championship will be in Delaware County May 11-17.

—Six FIFA World Cup matches will take place in Philadelphia June 14-July 4.

—The MLB All-Star Game will take place in Philadelphia in July.

Summer festivities also coincide with the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, another event state officials hope to leverage for economic impact.

With 72 million people living within a four hour drive of Pennsylvania, the lineup of events next year could cement the state as the “epicenter of the sports world,” Pennsylvania deputy secretary of tourism Anne Ryan said Thursday.

Already, Western Pennsylvania is hosting the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club for a record 10th time this year. The four-day tournament is expected to draw 200,000 attendees and generate more than $200 million in economic impact for the Pittsburgh region.

“I think the world’s eyes are going to be on Pennsylvania in 2026,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro in Oakmont on Friday.

“Pittsburgh is going to be a huge piece of that as we celebrate USA 250, so to have the championship here in Oakmont, getting people excited about coming to Pennsylvania, seeing the promise of Pennsylvania, seeing how wonderful it is to visit here — that’s really going to encourage them to come back next year, when we’ve got even more great things happening here in the Commonwealth.”

On day one of the tournament, Jim Britt, vice president of sports events at Visit Pittsburgh, revealed more details of his organization’s plans for next year’s NFL Draft, which will take place inside of a draft footprint that will span the Allegheny River. Acrisure Stadium will house the Draft Theater, where picks will be announced, while the Draft Experience — an NFL-sponsored festival for fans with concessions and activities — will be in Point State Park.

With 11 NFL markets within driving distance of the city, Mr. Britt is expecting over 600,000 attendees and over $150 million in direct economic impact, he said. Visit Pittsburgh estimates that up to 45,000 hotel rooms in the region will be booked during the three-day event.

Officials have so far heralded the draft as an opportunity to reintroduce Pittsburgh to a global audience.

In 2020, a record 55 million viewers tuned in over the course of the event, and Pittsburgh is preparing to unveil major Downtown upgrades ahead of the spotlight — including an overhaul of Market Square and a new outdoor events venue in the Cultural District.

Mr. Britt confirmed on Thursday that Visit Pittsburgh has brought on a new marketing agency — tourism-focused Madden Media — to promote the city in new ways before, during and after the Draft.

Visit Pittsburgh plans to hone in on two themes: Pittsburgh’s swing from heavy industry into tech, and western Pennsylvania’s storied football legacy, Mr. Britt said.

“You have a preconception in your mind of what Pittsburgh is, and if you haven’t been here in the last 10 or 15 years, your idea is outdated,” he said. “The city is beautiful, it’s vibrant, it’s bursting, but it’s also developing our economy.

“We’re on the forefront of robotics and AI, and this event is giving us an opportunity to share that story with a whole new worldwide global audience.”

After a delegation of around 20 Pittsburgh officials returned from a trip to Green Bay, which hosted this year’s NFL Draft, an 18-foot countdown clock erected on the North Shore gave an early indication of the group’s plans for showcasing Pittsburgh in 2026.

A thick steel beam supports the clock’s digital face, a nod to Pittsburgh’s industrial past and tech-forward future, officials said.

“I mean, the team is called the Steelers — there’s no way around it,” Mr. Britt said. “We have to acknowledge it.

“I think it’s more about embracing and respecting the role that that industry played, and also recognizing where we’re going, that we’ve come so far — that we’ve evolved.”

Organizers also plan to emphasize the region’s outsized role in NFL history, from the Steelers’ six Super Bowl wins to the 40 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees that played high school football in Pennsylvania.

On the countdown clock’s base, rivets are labeled with the names of local high school football teams under the words “Forged in football.” Visit Pittsburgh hopes to push people to explore the hometowns and high school stadiums of NFL legends, from Joe Montana (born in Washington County) to Dan Marino (born in Pittsburgh).

“It’s such an important part of our culture that if this is going to be a western Pennsylvania — Pittsburgh event, that has to be at its core — the history and legacy,” Mr. Britt said.

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, FIFA World Cup matches will span 39 days next summer and are expected to draw 500,000 to 750,000 people, according to Meg Kane, host city executive of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the organization responsible for the bid to bring the soccer tournament to Philadelphia.

Ms. Kane on Thursday announced that her organization will establish three fan activation zones across Pennsylvania during the World Cup, working with regional groups to extend the event’s impact beyond Philadelphia.

“We want everybody in Pennsylvania to feel this too — it is not just about the tourist experience,” Ms. Kane said. “We want everyone to feel that they are a part of the party; they are on the host committee.”

Before the soccer tournament, Delaware County expects to welcome around 200,000 guests to the PGA Championship in May 2026, according to general chairman of the tournament Mike Lewers. General grounds tickets are already sold out, Mr. Lewers said.

And after the World Cup, Philadelphia will host the MLB Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, as well as major July 4th celebrations on America’s 250th anniversary.

These events — including the draft — should not be looked at separately, Ms. Kane said. Together, they could put Pennsylvania on the map for future sports events — and offer a chance to control the narrative on what the state’s cities have to offer.

“We need everybody, and this is a moment for real civic pride,” she said. “We want to use the World Cup and all the events to drive that out.”