The 2026 NFL draft will get underway from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, with former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza expected to go number one overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II revealed on WDVE that he had to persuade the league to keep  Steelers and Ravens fans apart from each other in order to avoid any unnecessary extracurricular activities.

“I did ask that, you know, on the normal seating chart, I noticed that the Ravens fans were sitting in front of the Steeler fans in one section of the draft theater. So I asked them to make that change, and they agreed to make that change,” Rooney said.

Rooney spoke about how the draft would be a celebration of Pittsburgh, the Steelers, and football’s rich history in Western Pennsylvania, and how great the league has been about letting the franchise run things.

“When you’re hosting the draft, the league lets you do some things you don’t normally do during the draft,” he said.

Mendoza skipping the event

Mendoza, however, won’t be in attendance to hear his name called, despite being the presumptive number one pick.

“Pittsburgh is a great opportunity, and it’s a great venue, and I’m really excited to see all the guys, or most of the guys, walk across the stage on Thursday night,” Mendoza said on the Rich Eisen Show.

“It’ll be a dream for a lot of guys. However, my mom really wanted to do it at home… It’s a lot easier for us, especially with the family situation.”

“I wanted to stay and make the memory with everyone who poured into my football journey,” he added. “Mentors, coaches, family, friends, being able to share that memory with all of them is going to be the best memory I can make, rather than limit it to 10 or 12 people in Pittsburgh.”