Forget the red carpet. They're rolling out the bright green turf outside AT&T Stadium. Okay, they're also rolling out the red carpet.
There are sure signs that the NFL Draft and the free, fan-focused draft experience that comes along with it are just days away.
"Very exciting," said Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President Charlotte Jones Anderson. "Nerve-wracking and very exciting. We’re in Texas, so everything needs to be bigger and everything needs to be better. That includes the setup and hopefully the crowd and the people."
Indeed, this will be the biggest fan event the NFL has ever done, according to Peter O'Reilly with the NFL. So far, nearly 400,000 people have downloaded the app, indicating there's strong interest in the family-friendly events that are happening alongside the draft.
"There will be Cowboys, current and former players there," O'Reilly said. "There will be a full combine corner area, so if you want to pretend you're a prospect and run the 40-yard dash, test your vertical leap, be able to kick a field goal, throw a pass."
O'Reilly said choosing Arlington for the draft was a no-brainer.
"This is the heart of football country, all levels," he said. "This is the coming together of college and the NFL, no better place to do that than North Texas."
The fan fest starts at noon for Thursday and Friday and then at 10 a.m. on Saturday and costs nothing to participate. O'Reilly said even if you don't have tickets to get inside the actual draft, there may be opportunities to still snag some if you are attending the fan experience.
And yes, parking is free.