On April 26, New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba will welcome the 73rd Annual NFL Draft to Radio City Music Hall. The NFL Draft has been held in New York City since 1965 and at Radio City Music Hall since 2006. The NFL has also created other opportunities for the fans to experience the excitement of the NFL Draft with the NFL Draft Preview on Friday, April 25 and NFL Draft Fan Central on Saturday, April 26, both in New York City.

"The NFL Draft is an exciting event that we have enjoyed having in New York for over 40 years," said Commissioner Podziba. "The growth of the event has been tremendous with the addition of events such as the NFL Draft Preview and the NFL Draft Fan Central. These events give the fans an opportunity to come out and see some of their favorite local players."

The first two rounds of the 2008 NFL Draft will be held on Saturday, April 26 starting at 3:00 p.m. and the final five rounds will be held on Sunday, April 27 starting at 10:00 a.m. Some of the top college players will be in New York City for the Draft, including LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston, Virginia defensive end Chris Long, Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, and Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.

"We are pleased to once again present the NFL Draft to the world live from New York City," said Frank Supovitz, the NFL's senior vice president of events. "We would like to thank Commissioner Podziba, the New York City Sports Commission, and everyone else who has helped to ensure that our fans have an enjoyable experience while in town for the Draft."

The NFL Draft Preview gives fans the opportunity to see the top college football prospects invited to attend the NFL Draft. This free event also will feature players from both the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants and the New York Jets. The NFL Draft Preview will be located at the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center on Friday, April 25 at 12:00 p.m. and will be hosted by NFL Network's Jamie Dukes.

NFL Draft Fan Central is a free event and will feature interactive football activities, Giants and Jets player autograph signings and live coverage of the 2008 NFL Draft on the NFL Network big screen. NFL Draft Fan Central will be open to all fans on Saturday, April 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on 51st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

The NFL Draft is a free event; however seating is extremely limited. Wristbands to secure a ticket and entry into the Draft will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 26 on the 50th Street side of Radio City Music Hall. All persons wishing to attend Day 1 of the Draft must be present in order to receive a wristband. No exceptions will be made. Please remember that fans arrive very early. Fans who receive wristbands will then be able to line up beginning at 1:00 p.m. with doors opening at 1:45 p.m.

Fan entry will take place at the "Carriage Door Entrance" located on 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

For more information, please visit www.nfl.com.

The New York City Sports Commission is the mayoral agency charged with attracting, facilitating and promoting professional, amateur and scholastic sports events in New York City. In recent years, the Sports Commission has played a role in creating or developing many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the AVP Brooklyn Open, the NAUTICA NYC Triathlon, the NYC Half-Marathon, the Union Square Street Sessions presented by Jeep®, the Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race and the Men's Health Urbanathlon.