Report: Chicago The Favorite To Host 2015 NFL Draft
(CBS) Chicago is the favorite to host the 2015 NFL Draft, according to NFL.com's Gil Brandt.
"If I were an oddsmaker, I would say Chicago is where it'll be next year," Brandt told SiriusXM.
"The draft is going be a grand event, as we know it. It's going be, not only the players being selected, but we're going to have events outside of the draft area in which they will have a 40-yard dash race for people that want to run the 40 like players do. It'll be just like the event they have at the Super Bowl, the NFL Experience."
Chicago is a finalist to host along with Los Angeles and New York, which could host the draft in a different location after the news that it won't be held at Radio City Music Hall next season because of scheduling conflicts.
The NFL recently asked officials from all three cities to propose more details on hosting the draft, which NFL.com previously reported is expected to be held April 22-25 or April 29-May 2 in 2015. Any potential venue that wants to host the draft is being required by the NFL to have an adjacent indoor or outdoor space that can host a fan festival, NFL.com reported.
McCormick Place has been floated as a likely site in Chicago to host the draft, as it's plenty spacious. The Chicago Theater has also been floated as a possible venue.
The draft has been held in New York City every year since 1965 and has been held at Radio City Music Hall since 2006.