The NFL draft has turned into a significant event business, as 300,000 people applied for tickets to attend this year at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. And 20 NFL teams have expressed interest to host the event over the next five years.
This year's draft, which begins Thursday night at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, will be the first to be held in a stadium. Demand has been big enough that free tickets to see the first round in person have sold on eBay for as much as $300 each.
"It's the embodiment of hope in the middle of the offseason, where nobody wins or loses and where college fandom leads into the NFL," said Peter O'Reilly, senior vice president of events for the league.