NFL Draft heading to Las Vegas in 2020
Thursday 13 December 2018 07:43, UK
Las Vegas will host the 2020 NFL Draft, commissioner Roger Goodell announced on Wednesday.
The draft, which will be the 85th annual, will be held April 23-25. The Oakland Raiders are scheduled to begin play in the city in the 2020 season.
"The NFL Draft is one of the most-anticipated events of the year and we are excited to take it to Las Vegas," Goodell said in a statement.
"We look forward to working with the Raiders, Las Vegas officials and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to create an unforgettable week-long celebration of football for our fans, the incoming prospects and partners."
The league announced the decision at its December meeting in Dallas, near the location of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which becomes the 32nd venue to host the event in April.
"The Raiders are very excited for Las Vegas and are proud to help host the 2020 NFL Draft," Raiders owner Mark Davis said.
The 2018 draft was the highest-rated and most-watched in history, the league added.
The first NFL Draft was held in 1936 in Philadelphia and rotated among US cities until makings its permanent home in New York City in 1965. In 2015, the draft began rotating among cities again, with Chicago hosting the event that year and in 2016. Philadelphia and Arlington, Texas, followed as hosts.
The 2019 NFL Draft will be held April 25-27 in Nashville, Tennessee.
