MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks on before Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell delivered a memorandum on Monday saying that clubs have been advised to prepare to conduct draft operations in a "fully virtual format."
"We have reviewed this matter in the past few days with both the Competition Committee and CEC, and this will confirm that Clubs will conduct their Draft operations remotely, with club personnel separately located in their homes," Goddell said in his memorandum.
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The memorandum comes after the NFL had previously canceled its Las Vegas draft event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are operating in an environment unlike anything we have experienced before, one that requires flexibility, patience, and cooperation," Goddell said.
The NFL draft, a national televised event, is cited by many football pundits as the unofficial start of the season, with fans and teams eagerly watching to see which college stars will be joining their squads.
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The call for a virtual draft is unsurprising, considering major sporting events themselves -- including the 2020 Toyko Olympics -- have been postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Coronavirus causes delays in professional sports
The MLB, NHL, and NBA were among the leagues that suspended or delayed games.