Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium remains in the frame to stage an NFL regular season game, it has been confirmed, even with plans accelerating towards hosting additional games at Wembley and the long-term prospect of adding a British franchise to the league.
With the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions arriving this week for what will be the second of three UK stops on the schedule this season, officials on this side of the Atlantic believe they are closing in on the critical mass required to seriously countenance a permanent operation, with the English FA signalling their openness to strike a deal to make Wembley their home venue.
However, the channels of commun-ication remain open with the Scottish Rugby Union, with NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood prepared to listen to ideas for a Scottish diversion.
"It's not dead," he confirmed. "Certainly I'm constantly reminded that when I think something isn't going to happen, I'm constantly surprised. The focus has been on Wembley and it's stadium size and capacity, and it's partly making sure we have something the teams are comfortable with.
"Coaches and front office are creatures of habit and they want to know from their peers what's involved and how things work. Going straight to London is important, as is doing what other teams have in the past. For Scotland, I think you'd need to have an owner that really wanted to play there, combined with an opportunity that allowed it, like a calendar conflict. But I wouldn't dismiss anything."
Murrayfield, which last hosted American football in 2002 when the Scottish Claymores remained in existence, would seem the only viable option outside London for the NFL due to its capacity and changing facilities.
"There have been countless stadium visits," Kirkwood confirmed. "Everything was legitimised and we've had internal presentations to weigh it up. But going back to comparing NFL Europe to this, the difference is that we've been really focused and consistent on how we measure our success, and how we build. With the Europe League, there was too much chopping and changing and we've learned an important lesson from that."
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