As the new home of the Oakland Raiders, who will be known as the Las Vegas Raiders, Sin City will be hosting the 2020 NFL Draft. The team facility and stadium will not be completed in time to host the big event, but the league has found a new home. They want to host the NFL Draft on the Las Vegas Strip, right in front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.
According to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the league had a dream scenario in which they would be placing the draft stage at the Bellagio. The draft organizers proposed this scenario, and they are within reach of making this dream a reality. Although there is still one more hurdle to overcome.
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The scenario has not officially been approved by the Clark County Commission just yet, but an answer will be provided in the near future. The NFL representatives are scheduled to meet with the commission on Tuesday and provide an in-depth presentation. They will break down the road closures and provide an overview of the draft venues.
A source has told the Review-Journal that the Las Vegas Strip would be shut down to vehicle traffic for the entire draft. This event lasts three days, April 23-25. The purpose of the closure would be to accommodate an expected 400,000 or more attendees. More than 600,000 attended the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville, and the Las Vegas event is expected to be as much of a draw.
Having Las Vegas host the NFL Draft will provide the league with an opportunity to assess the abilities of the popular tourist destination. The Raiders will be making a bid to host a future Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium, which is known as the Death Star, and the league will want to know how the city handles the extra traffic of a big event.
While the Las Vegas Strip would be completely shut down for the three-day event, there would also be some rolling closures to prepare the stage and later tear it down. A source told the Review-Journal that Las Vegas Boulevard would be reduced to two lanes in front of the fountains for a significant amount of time.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was in Las Vegas on Friday, and he provided some comments about the draft event. As he explained to those gathered, said that the league would be showcasing several of the iconic locations in Sin City.
“We are going to try and incorporate all the iconic features of this city,” Goodell said. “We are going to do what we can to show the tremendous entertainment and hospitality that goes on in this city.”
Goodell also said that his hopes are for the residents of Las Vegas to look back on the draft and think about how special the weekend was. He wants to bring the three-day event back in future years, and 2020 will serve as a test-run. The league just needs approval on Tuesday to secure the Bellagio for the NFL Draft stage.
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