COWBOYS WINNING
Dallas Cowboys win hosting duties for 2018 NFL Draft
Teresa Gubbins
Oct 19, 2017, 2:56 am
AT&T Stadium is the place to be for the 2018 NFL Draft. Courtesy photo
Originally appeared on Culture Map/Dallas.
For the first time in history, the NFL draft will take place at an NFL stadium — and of course it's going to be the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Of course.
The 83rd NFL Draft will take place on April 26-28, 2018. The draft site will incorporate the stadium's field, stands, and outdoor plazas, creating an all-encompassing atmosphere and enabling more fans than ever before to watch team selections. It'll be draft everywhere you look.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement at the league's annual fall meeting, following a review of the proposal by the Super Bowl & Major Events Advisory Committee and full ownership.
The decision is the result of a months-long examination of plans submitted by various cities to host the 2018 NFL Draft.
Goodell credits Philadelphia with having set up the shot for Dallas.
"Philadelphia raised the bar by taking the draft to another level, and this new opportunity in Dallas will enable us to continue the event's evolution and grow it even further," he says in a release. "We are grateful to the Dallas Cowboys, the cities of Arlington, Dallas, and Frisco, and the Dallas Sports Commission for their leadership in turning this vision into reality."
The NFL Draft has grown into one of the biggest sporting events of the year. A record-breaking 250,000 fans attended the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, along with more than 1,800 accredited media who covered it.
Round 1 of the 2017 NFL Draft was broadcast live on ESPN and NFL Network. It was the most-watched cable program of the week and the most-watched sports event of the week on both broadcast and cable networks. During its three days, draft programming claimed five out of the top 10 spots among sports events, including the No. 1 spot.
There will be sponsorship. Called the NFL Draft Experience Presented by Dannon Oikos Triple Zero — which really just rolls off the tongue, does it not? — the festival will allow fans of all teams to participate in football drills, enjoy interactive exhibits and autograph sessions, and take pictures with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. It will take over the plazas directly outside the stadium, transforming the area for attendees.
The schedule is as follows:
- April 26: The NFL Draft returns to primetime with Round 1.
- April 27: Rounds 2 and 3 will feature members of the NFL Legends Community, as well as special guests to be announced.
- April 28: Rounds 4-7 will conclude the event.
Round 1 will include incoming prospects walking the red carpet before entering the NFL Draft theater, which will be constructed directly on the field. A portion of the stadium will be opened up for the public to attend. Interested fans can win seated tickets at no cost.
Before the draft had grown into the entertainment juggernaut it is today, it was held almost exclusively at hotels, beginning in 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, before hopscotching through cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, and Washington, D.C. New York hotels held a lock on it from the '60s until 1995, when it officially moved to an entertainment venue — namely, Madison Square Garden. From 2006-2014, it was at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
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Houston earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year Sunday and will open against first-time qualifier SIU-Edwardsville in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday.
The Big 12's Cougars (30-4) have advanced to at least the second weekend of five straight NCAAs but were knocked out in the Sweet 16 the last two years.
Assuming they beat the Ohio Valley Conference champion Cougars (22-11), they would face a big challenge in the second round against the winner of an 8-9 Midwest Region matchup between Gonzaga (25-8) and Georgia (20-12).
Thursday games in Providence, Rhode Island, pit No. 5 seed Clemson (27-6) against No. 12 McNeese (27-6) and No. 4 Purdue (22-11) against No. 13 High Point (29-5).
Texas and Xavier will meet in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, with the winner playing No. 6 Illinois (21-12) on Friday in Milwaukee, where No. 3 Kentucky (22-11) meets No. 14 Troy (23-10).
In Thursday games in Lexington, Kentucky, No. 7 UCLA (22-10) meets No. 10 Utah State (26-7) and No. 2 Tennessee (27-7) faces No. 15 Wofford (19-15).
Houston 11th-year coach Kelvin Sampson has built the winningest program in the country the last seven seasons. Their 211 wins since 2018-19 lead the nation; they're a top-three seed for the fifth time in six tournaments; and they're only the third team since 2009 to be a No. 1 three straight years.
For all the success, the program standard remains the Phi Slama Jama era of the early 1980s. Guy Lewis' Cougars appeared in three straight Final Fours with Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Michael Young leading the way.
Sampson's Cougars aren't nearly as flashy, but the wins have come in bunches. They’ve won at least 30 games in four straight seasons. They enter the tournament having won 13 straight games and 26 of 27 and with a sweep of the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships.
The Cougars, who rank first in the nation in defensive efficiency and give up 58.5 points per game, are the only team in the nation to have allowed fewer than 60 per game for five straight seasons. LJ Cryer is among four players averaging in double figures and is shooting a Big 12-best 42.8% on 3s. Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan also shoot better than 40% from distance, and the Cougars lead the Big 12 and are fourth nationally at 39.8%.
Leading rebounder J’Wan Roberts has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle. Sampson has not updated Roberts' status.
Be careful, Purdue
Look for first-time qualifier High Point to be a trendy pick to upset Purdue in the first round.
The 13th-seeded Panthers, who swept the Big South regular-season and tournament titles, will go into Thursday's game in Providence, Rhode Island, on a 14-game win streak.
Purdue has lost six of its last nine games. The Boilermakers dropped four straight in February and lost by 18 points to Michigan in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Another coach, another tournament
Utah State will make its third straight appearance with its third different coach.
The 10th-seeded Aggies are 26-7 under Jerrod Calhoun and will faced UCLA. They got to the second round last year under Danny Sprinkle, who left after a year to take the Washington job. Ryan Odom took Utah State to the tournament in 2023 and then went to VCU.
Zags going for Sweet 16 mark
No. 8 Gonzaga has its lowest seed since it was an 11 in 2016 and faces an uphill battle to make a record 10th-straight appearance in the Sweet 16. The Zags would have to knock off No. 8 Georgia and more than likely No. 1 Houston to get there.
The Zags rank second in scoring at 86.6 points per game and feature Ryan Nembhard, who leads the nation with 9.8 assists per game.