Amid the new world landscape dominated by the coronavirus, news has finally come out regarding the NFL Draft. The NFL has decided to cancel all public events in Las Vegas during the draft this year.
The news broke after concern over the coronavirus continued to rise throughout the weekend. The draft will still go on in Las Vegas as planned and will be televised.
In a statement from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, he stated that the league will consider hosting future events in Las Vegas to let the city shine, via NFL.com:
“This decision reflects our foremost priority — the health and safety of all fans and citizens,” Goodell in a 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 Las Vegas Raiders, of course, were set to be the belle of the ball, as it would be the first national event in the team’s new home town. While owner Mark Davis is disappointed that all the planning and work the team and the city had completed would go to the wayside, he understands the need to do it:
“After careful consideration, the Las Vegas Raiders, the NFL, the NFLPA and the LVCVA have decided to cancel the 2020 Las Vegas NFL Draft celebration. Health and safety has always been our top priority, so despite it being a major disappointment, this was the right decision. I would like to thank Governor Sisolak and the LVCVA for all of the passion they put into creating an event that would have been second to none. Although Las Vegas lost this chance to shine, there will be many more opportunities to show the world just what Las Vegas is made of. Whether it be the Draft, the Pro Bowl or the Super Bowl, the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World is ready!”
In addition to the cancellation of festivities in Vegas, teams are no longer allowed to meet with draft-eligible players in person. The league will allow teams to hold video and phone interviews with the college players they are interested in. The NFL Draft is scheduled to begin April 23 and will run until April 25.
