NFL Draft will take place as scheduled in April but without public festivities
The NFL Draft is staying put.
The league announced Monday that it will stay the course on the April 23-25 draft in Las Vegas amid the COVID-19 outbreak, but that public festivities surrounding the event have been canceled.
The league said it is exploring innovative options for how the process will be conducted and will provide that information as it becomes available. The selection process will be televised.
“This decision reflects our foremost priority — the health and safety of all fans and citizens,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a written statement. “While this outcome is disappointing both to the NFL and to the Las Vegas community, we look forward to partnering with the Raiders, the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a future NFL Draft as well as evaluating opportunities for other major NFL events in Las Vegas in the future, including the Super Bowl.”
The start of NFL free agency won’t be delayed because of the coronavirus, but there’s a chance both Tom Brady and the draft could be on the move.
The original Draft plan called for each team to have a designated section near the stage at the Bellagio Hotel that would be filled with fans.
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