Hurricane Isaias just barreled up to Category 3, packing a punch with 120 mph sustained winds and crazy gusts, plus a forecast for 15 inches of rain and tornadoes on the Gulf Coast. But get this: Alabama isn’t changing its Saturday night game against Georgia. Officials from the school and the SEC are still monitoring the storm, but as of Friday, it’s full steam ahead for one of college football’s biggest matchups, even with Isaias expected to make landfall Friday night around Pensacola, Florida. This ain’t just a drizzle, people; the National Hurricane Center is talking serious weather.
The Gulf Coast Is Under Siege, But Games Go On
Seriously, a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds? Evacuations are happening on the Gulf Coast. Yet, while Alabama’s massive game is still set, some other matchups *are* seeing changes. The National Weather Service’s forecast office in Birmingham, Alabama, put out an update Friday saying the probable path of the hurricane’s cone includes central Alabama getting impacted Saturday afternoon. Then it’s through Tennessee early Sunday and hitting Kentucky in the morning. Coastal Alabama is under a hurricane warning right now, and still, Alabama’s keeping its plans for the Georgia game.
It’s not just the big one either. Another game slated for Alabama, Bethune Cookman at Alabama A&M in Huntsville, is also sticking to its originally scheduled 7 p.m. central kickoff, even with up to three inches of rain predicted. You have to wonder what they’re thinking, trying to play through that kind of weather.
Game Changes Are Happening, Just Not The Big One
While Alabama is holding strong, several other games in the Carolinas and surrounding areas *have* changed their plans. Rice at East Carolina is the only FBS game that actually shifted its Saturday kickoff time because of the hurricane. The Pirates will now play the Owls at 1 p.m. ET in Greenville, North Carolina, instead of the earlier 4 p.m. slot.
Then you’ve got the games that got completely shaken up. Northeastern State at West Florida in Pensacola got their non-conference matchup canceled outright, and no makeup date is expected. Florida A&M at Alabama State in Montgomery was pushed to Friday afternoon, ahead of the hurricane’s arrival, and they had to reschedule all their other homecoming events planned for the weekend. Southern at Prairie View A&M in Prairie View, Texas, moved their game back one hour to 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, with officials watching the hurricane. And down in South Carolina, Davidson at Presbyterian got their kickoff moved up big-time, 5.5 hours earlier to noon ET. East Tennessee State at The Citadel from Charleston, South Carolina, will also kick at noon. And another Lowcountry contest, South Carolina State at Charleston Southern, also moved their prime-time kickoff up to noon. It’s a mess out there, and teams are scrambling.
So, while everyone else is trying to get ahead of Isaias, the big game in Alabama is still a go. It’s going to be wild to see how that plays out with 15 inches of rain and potentially tornadoes looming. Stay safe, football fans, because this storm is no joke.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply