NFL Releases Plans To Turn Chicago Into 'Draft Town'
(CBS) The 80th edition of the annual player selection meeting, also known as the NFL Draft, is only six weeks away. Chicago will play host to the three-day event that runs from Thursday, April 30 through Saturday, May 2.
On Thursday, NFL Communications released its initial plans for the event, which will include "unprecedented free fan experiences, flag football competitions" and for the first time, portions of the draft will expand to Congress Plaza and Grant Park.
The hub of the draft will be the historic Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University. Congress Plaza will host "Selection Square," which will serve as the home of the 32 team draft tables, while Grant Park will be transformed into "Draft Town."
Selection Square will be located across Michigan Avenue from the Auditorium Theatre. Admission is free but it will contain a reserved seating section. Draft picks who are in attendance will be featured outside in Selection Square for interviews after they've been selected.
Draft Town will be a 900,000-square-foot area that features food, music and a flag football competition. It's free to fans and will be open for the duration of the draft. It will also feature a variety of fan experiences.
Draft Town hours of operation will be Thursday, April 30 from 4-10 p.m.; Friday, May 1 from 4-10 p.m.; and Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Buckingham Fountain will be lit up in the colors of the team on the clock during the first two days of the draft. Next April's draft marks the ninth time Chicago has hosted the NFL draft.
Full details about the draft plans are available here. Ticket information will be made available Monday.
