The NFL draft will no longer take place in Las Vegas, according to the Los Angeles Times. The league is reportedly instead planning to orchestrate the draft in a broadcast studio setting.
On March 16, the NFL canceled all public events that were scheduled to take place in Las Vegas around the draft. The draft is still scheduled for April 23–25, but it will reportedly not have any physical presence in Las Vegas and instead be condensed to a studio setting with cut-ins into the individual headquarters of the teams making a selection. The draft is planned to be shown live on ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and ABC.
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“Planning for the draft is a good example of how we need to think differently, embrace technology and collaborate. We will also use the draft to help support fans and those people impacted in our communities,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a memo sent to all league employees that was obtained by the Times.
ESPN formed a partnership with Caesars last year to open a content studio inside The LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, though plans to use that studio for NFL draft purposes have not been announced. Previous confirmed Las Vegas draft plans included a red carpet stage set up over water in front of the Bellagio hotel fountains, while draft prospects were to be transported to the stage via boats.
The 2020 NFL draft in Las Vegas was planned to coincide with the inaugural season of the Las Vegas Raiders. After relocating from Oakland, the team is scheduled to play in Allegiant Stadium this season.
