The NFL said Monday it will cancel its public events for next month’s draft in Las Vegas due to concerns over coronavirus, citing the CDC’s recommendation that all gatherings of more than 50 people be postponed or canceled over the next eight weeks.
As of now, the draft is still scheduled to take place on April 23-25 and will still be televised.
But the league had planned for festivities throughout the three-day event, as they have typically done for each city that has hosted the draft. This year, the NFL was set to announce picks from the Vegas strip.
“This decision reflects our foremost priority – the health and safety of all fans and citizens,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said 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.”
On Sunday, MGM Resorts International announced it had suspended all operations at its Las Vegas properties until further notice.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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