Feature

AT&T Stadium becomes first NFL stadium to host Draft

The 2018 edition of the NFL American football league’s Draft will be held at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The event, which is set to take place from April 26-28, will mark the first time the Draft has been hosted at an NFL stadium.

The NFL Draft is an annual event in which the teams select eligible US college football players. It serves as the league’s most common source of player recruitment.

AT&T Stadium ousted other bidding cities, including Philadelphia, which housed last year’s draft. The move also means it will be the third year in a row that the NFL Draft has been in a different venue, with Chicago hosting the event in 2015 and 2016.

From 1965 to 2014, the event was held in New York before it began moving around to different NFL cities.

“We are very excited about the 2018 NFL Draft coming to Dallas,” said Charlotte Anderson, the Cowboys’ executive vice-president and chief brand officer. “This is something we have been actively pursuing for a long time, and we are committed to having an outstanding presentation.

“The community leaders in Dallas have been very helpful in getting us to this point and we look forward to working closely with the NFL to raise the bar for this event.

“We’re also looking forward to showcasing the versatility of AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The stadium was designed for more than just football. It was designed to be adaptable to host a wide variety of events because of its indoor/outdoor capabilities. People in Texas believe our state is the centre of the football universe, and we know we will have a great crowd turnout – not only from within our state, but from fans who come from all over the country. We’re looking forward to having a great draft weekend experience in Dallas at AT&T Stadium and at The Star in Frisco.”

Image: Marianne O’Leary