PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Some recent NFL Drafts have reached fan capacity inside the campus footprint, causing gates to at least temporarily close.
Will that be a problem in Green Bay?
Just before Roger Goodell was set to take the stage for last year’s NFL Draft in Detroit, fan capacity was reached, forcing thousands of people to be on the wrong side of the event’s perimeter fencing.
“In Detroit we did have to for a little bit close the gates for a little bit,” said Jon Barker, NFL Senior VP of Global Event Operations and Production. “People stayed outside. They were lovely, respectful, we made sure they were entertained, having a good time. As people started to move out, we brought more people in and we just flowed it in.”
The draft campus in Green bay is expected to be double the square footage of last year’s campus in Detroit.
Green Bay Police Captain Ben Allen, who is leading public safety planning for the event, says there isn’t a set number for when gates would close this year.
“We’ve talked through that and what that would look like,” said Allen. “We know our space, our theatre space is probably four times bigger than what they had in Detroit. We know one picture showed where it was pretty packed it was approximately 20,000 people. I think our capacity is at least there, certainly if not quite a bit more just based on the square footage of our space.”
If capacity were to be reached, or come close, the NFL’s One Pass app would let you know.
“That notification was sent out and it was real time so people that were planning to enter the campus knew they had limited time to do so before that capacity was reached,” Ashwaubenon Village Manager Joel Gregozeski said of when capacity was reached in Detroit.
People can start registering to attend the NFL Draft on the One Pass app on March 4. The event is free to attend, but people are required to register.
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