Lost Vegas: NFL Draft extravaganza in Las Vegas CANCELED due to coronavirus as NFL plans stripped-down alternative

The annual NFL Draft celebrations have been canceled, with the NFL announcing it has scrapped its planned Las Vegas event, and revealed they are working on "modified" plans for the draft itself, which will still take place.

The actual draft process, which involves the 32 NFL franchises taking turns to select players from a pool of the top college prospects, will go ahead on schedule as planned. But plans for the huge public event, which was set to take place in the heart of Sin City, will now no longer go ahead.

A statement from the NFL explained the situation:

"In consideration of current information related to COVID-19 and guidance from medical experts such as the CDC, and in coordination with public authorities in Nevada and the City of Las Vegas, the NFL will modify its plans for the 2020 NFL Draft, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today.

"The clubs' selection of players will proceed as scheduled April 23-25. The NFL is exploring innovative options for how the process will be conducted and will provide that information as it becomes available. The selection process will be televised.

"Public NFL Draft events in Las Vegas next month will not take place."

NFL Commissioner Goodell said the decision was taken with safety in mind, and said he hoped to be able to repay Las Vegas with a future NFL Draft event, and possibly a Super Bowl, in the years to come.

"This decision reflects our foremost priority – the health and safety of all fans and citizens," said Goodell.

"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."