Riptide Gain First Pick In Sept. 17 NLL Draft

The New York Riptide, which completed its inaugural National Lacrosse League season in 2019-20, will have the first selection in the 2020 NLL Draft, to be held virtually on September 17. New York finished 1-12 in its first year competing at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Following the recent NFL, MLB, and WNBA Drafts, the NLL is just the fourth professional sports league to produce a fully live virtual draft. The NLL will transmit live feeds to B/R Live, NLL’s YouTube channel, and Facebook (@NLL). With real-time coverage expected from over 30 virtual contributors, the production will leverage a combination of technologies from vendors AviWest, VMix, TVU Anywhere, Zoom, and LTN. The production will also use the new Clearcom IP based intercom app called Agent IC to handle the complex communications required to execute a virtual live draft.

“As a league that always thinks digital-first, we are excited to be able to use state-of-the-art technology to hold the 2020 Draft online for all fans to watch and participate in,” said Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “As we continue to wade through the challenges, we are all facing today we would have liked to offer the newest rising stars a live experience. But we know that the entire event and team, player, and fan experience will be first-class.”

Draft Logistics

In terms of eligibility, all players 21 and older who have never participated in NCAA lacrosse are eligible to be selected in the Entry Draft. Additionally, all players who have either exhausted or forfeited their NCAA eligibility are draft-eligible. For the 2020 NLL Entry Draft, all NCAA players who have exhausted four seasons of eligibility and may return to play a fifth NCAA season are eligible to be selected.

Draft Order (as of August 5^th, 2020)

1. New York
2. Rochester
3. Vancouver
4. San Diego
5. Calgary
6. Colorado
7. Philadelphia
8. Georgia
9. Buffalo
10. Toronto
11. Halifax
12. Saskatchewan
13. New England

First Round (as of August 5^th, 2020)

1. New York
2. Rochester
3. Vancouver
4. San Diego
5. Calgary
6. Georgia (from Colorado)
7. Saskatchewan (from Philadelphia)
8. Georgia
9. Buffalo
10.  Georgia or Buffalo (from Toronto)*
11. Halifax
12. Saskatchewan
13. Georgia (from New England)
14. Halifax
15.  San Diego
16.  Philadelphia

*Conditional pick – Georgia has until September 1, 2020, to opt to choose this pick (10th in 2020) or receive Toronto’s first round selection in the 2022 Entry Draft. After Georgia chooses, Buffalo will receive the remaining Toronto first round pick.