When the NFL Draft was announced as heading to Las Vegas in 2020, ahead of the Raiders moving from Oakland to Vegas, the expectation was that they’d go over the top with things, because nowhere does excess quite like Las Vegas.
Sure enough, the NFL is not disappointing with their grandiose plans for the 2020 Draft, announcing officially on Tuesday that the stage for the draft’s red carpet will be on the lake in front of Bellagio that has the famous fountains. The Strip will be closed to all car traffic for the three days of the draft, which is going to make going anywhere by car a nightmare, and fans will be able to watch the draft from the sidewalk and street.
https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/1219687875748384768
Now, having the stage on the water begs the question: How will they get players to the red carpet? The answer, naturally, is a boat shuttle.
The stage for the 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas will be on the water at the Fountains of Bellagio. The players will be transported to the stage by boat. pic.twitter.com/8sVl8p2ZBx
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) January 21, 2020
NFL PR’s Brian McCarthy clarified that this is just for the red carpet, and the actual draft stage will be across Flamingo at Caesars Palace.
This is the stage for the Red Carpet that will precede the Draft. The Main Draft Stage will be constructed next to Caesars Forum. https://t.co/2n0a8P44Z8
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) January 21, 2020
If this all seems ridiculous, that’s because it is, but it’s also extremely Las Vegas. What we now get to wait for, beyond the actual draft, is word of how the NFL will blow this out even more, with rumors abound about various celebrities they might have announce picks.