Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

On the clock: Raiders host first event in Las Vegas

Raiders

John Locher / AP

Matt Gutierrez carries a Raiders flag by the iconic sign welcoming visitors to Las Vegas in March, when the NFL approved the team’s move. The Raiders will announce their NFL draft selections on Saturday during a party at the sign.

The 129th man selected in the NFL draft might be welcomed as the most celebrated player in league history.

That player will be the first one chosen by the Raiders during their first public event in Las Vegas since announcing their move to Southern Nevada beginning in the 2020 season. The team will host a draft party Saturday morning at the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.

The party, dubbed “Raiders Draft Day,” will begin at 9 a.m. at the iconic sign and run until 4 p.m. The parking lot immediately adjacent to the sign will close from midnight to 6 p.m. for the event, though, and fans attending can park at the Bali Hai Golf Club directly across Las Vegas Boulevard. The travel lanes closest to the median for both northbound and southbound traffic will be closed from midnight to 6 p.m. Saturday as well.

The Raiders will announce their fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round picks from the sign, totaling five players because they own two seventh-round selections. The team held a draft party for fans in Oakland on Thursday evening, when they made their first-round selection with the 24th pick.

“We are excited to welcome the NFL and the Raiders to Las Vegas,” Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak said. “The draft is about building for the future and so it is only fitting that the Raiders will be building their future here, their future home.”

Raiders alumni, the Raiderettes cheerleading squad and local officials are expected to take part in the party. Last year, the Raiders made their third-day draft announcements from Mexico City and in 2015, Raiders selections were broadcast from Travis Air Force Base just north of Oakland.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy