Nashville To Host 2019 NFL Draft

NASHVILLE, TN -- The 2019 National Football League Player Selection Meeting - what's more succinctly called "the draft" - will be held in Nashville.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero tweeted the widely expected news Wednesday morning from the league meetings in Atlanta.

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“Following an exciting and successful event in Dallas, we're thrilled to take the NFL Draft to Nashville. The city has a passionate fan base and offers iconic locations that will enable us to expand the Draft in unique ways," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "We look forward to working with the Tennessee Titans, the City of Nashville, and the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp to deliver a memorable celebration of football to our fans and incoming players."

The Music City had emerged as the top contender of the five finalists announced in February. Cleveland/Canton, Las Vegas, Kansas City and Denver were the others. Traditionally held in New York, the league has started taking the three-day, made-for-TV event on the road, with visits to Chicago in 2016, Philadelphia in 2017 and Dallas this year.

Where exactly the draft will be held remains to be seen. The Nashville Rock 'n' Roll Marathon is historically held the same weekend as the draft and indeed the 2019 version is scheduled for April 27, the Saturday of the draft's triduum. The marathon traditionally finishes in the shadow of Nissan Stadium, uses the Music City Center for registration and staging and closes streets throughout downtown and its environs. Bridgestone Arena is a possibility, however, it too is hamstrung by marathon road closures and hosts the post-race concert; further, that weekend is either the tail end of the first round or the start of the second round of the NHL playoffs, meaning the Predators would have to forego at least three potential dates for hockey games.

Similarly, venues like the Ryman Auditorium and Ascend Amphitheater, while presenting a cool visual, would run into the same traffic issues.

In any case, Butch Spyridon, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation, has said he envisions using multiple venues - all the aforementioned, plus the Grand Ole Opry - to host the draft, according to The Tennessean.

While criss-crossing the city presents a solution of sorts to the venue problem, it doesn't solve the lodging issue, as hotel rooms are already at a premium during marathon weekend.

Photo by Olivia Lind, used with permission