Fans turned away from the Theater at Madison Square Garden yesterday were not admitted to the NFL Draft because there simply were not enough seats inside, according to the NFL.

“There’s more people than seats,” one NFL employee said. “If people leave after the first round, then we let more people in. They’ll fill those empty seats.

“More people come every year,” he said.

Tickets to the draft are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Friday night, wristbands were handed out, but even with them, some fans were turned away yesterday morning after the Theater quickly filled up. After the draft started, fans waiting outside were admitted about 10 picks into the first round.