Saturday's UF-LSU football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is still "on" as of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, but the status could change, according to sources close to the Gators. Certainly, forces in Louisiana are pressing for either a postponement or a relocation.
"We are working closely with local, state and University officials as well as the Southeastern Conference office to monitor the progress of Hurricane Matthew and its potential impact on campus and the safety of the fans," the source said.
There will be no overnight parking lots for this weekend's game. All lots will open on Saturday at 8 a.m., according to the university.
In addition, the Dine on the Goal Line event originally scheduled for Friday has been postponed until the South Carolina weekend.
In a letter received today, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., urged Gov. Rick Scott to work with the UF to move the location of, or rescheduling, the football game against the LSU Fighting Tigers, because Hurricane Matthew is projected to hit Florida as a category 4 storm and likely will severely affect Gainesville the day before the scheduled game.
"Holding the UF-LSU football game in Gainesville this weekend jeopardizes the safety and well-being of the players, attending fans, coaching staffs, stadium employees, police, and emergency responders who will need to travel to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium," said Vitter. "The people of Louisiana are very familiar with the dangers associated with hurricanes of this magnitude, and before Hurricane Matthew reaches landfall in Florida, it's vitally important for Governor Scott and the University of Florida Athletic Department to consider moving or rescheduling the UF-LSU football game this weekend in Gainesville."
LSU has offered to host the game on the Fighting Tigers' campus.
Meanwhile, UF has said emphatically it will not move the game out of Gainesville.
But stay tuned. If the game status changes, Sunshine State News will update the story.
Hurricane Matthew’s looming impact on Florida and the rest of the East Coast put other football, basketball, hockey teams and even a major golf match on edge during the last 24 hours.
Here's a rundown of other major contests in the hurricane's projected path affecting Florida teams -- what's still on, what's been postponed and what's been canceled as of 1:30 p.m. Thursday:
Miami-FSU
At least for now, Hurricane Matthew is not having an impact on one of the biggest games in Week 6.
Unbeaten and 10th-ranked Miami is set to host in-state rival Florida State Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The game will mark the first time since 2002 that the Hurricanes have entered with a better record than the Seminoles, and is a pivotal matchup for both sides.
In a press release, the university noted that the hurricane is “expected to sideswipe Thursday and into Friday,” meaning the significant weather event should have cleared the area by kickoff 8:18 ET Saturday night. As it stands now, no decision has been made to cancel or postpone the contest, although what if any damage the storm causes on its way through the area will determine whether or not the game goes on as scheduled.
“We are monitoring Hurricane Matthew, and are in constant contact with stadium personnel,” a statement from athletic director Blake James began. “We are hopeful that the impact of Hurricane Matthew will be minimal and the game between the Hurricanes and Seminoles will be played as planned.”
Fortunately for all involved, not just the football games, the hurricane appears to be heading on a more easterly path. However, that could certainly change over the next 24-48 hours as those in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and even New Jersey pay particular attention to Matthew’s path.
The dates for two games involving FBS teams have already been changed because of the storm.
UCF-Tulane
Further up the Florida peninsula, the University of Central Florida announced its scheduled weekend game against Tulane would be postponed to Nov. 5.
“Taking into account all the latest projections for Hurricane Matthew, we have to keep the safety of everyone involved in these events at the forefront of our decision-making,” UCF athletic director Dr. Daniel J. White said. “We appreciate our friends at Tulane and Houston understanding and working with us through this situation.”
FAU-UNC Charlotte
Florida Atlantic University has postponed its 3:30 p.m. Saturday home football game this weekend against Conference USA member Charlotte. The Owls, who are 1-0 all-time against the 49ers, say the earliest makeup day is Sunday, Oct. 9. Keep watching social media for alerts.
South Carolina State-Bethune-Cookman
Due to impending severe weather, the Bethune-Cookman football game against South Carolina State Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg, S.C. has been postponed. It will be rescheduled at a later date.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are still scheduled to host Tennessee Sunday afternoon, but the teams are monitoring conditions.
“We’re watching the weather with the hurricane that’s going on down there,” said Titans coach Mike Mularkey on his radio show Thursday morning. “There may be some weather issues. There’s a very slight chance that game could be moved up here. There’s been some discussion because of it.”
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat will use the Houston Rockets’ training facility during the weekend. The Heat are scheduled to play the Minnesota Timberwolves in Kansas City on Saturday. The Rockets’ training facility is available to the Heat because the Rockets will be in China for two preseason games.
Web.com Tour Championship
The Web.com Tour Championship, a golf tournament scheduled to be played near Jacksonville, was canceled.
The Web.com tournament was the last chance for some golfers to secure their PGA Tour cards for the coming season. It had to be called off after a mandatory evacuation order was posted for Jacksonville beach areas, and there’s no opportunity for it to be made up.
“I know the players who came here needing a good finish to get their cards are very disappointed,” Web.com Tour president Bill Calfee said.
Florida Panthers-Tampa Bay Lightning
With Broward County under a hurricane warning, the Florida Panthers canceled tonight's preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at BB&T Center.
The last time the Panthers were forced to move a game because of a storm came in 2005 following damage to the arena and surrounding areas from Hurricane Wilma.
Florida’s training facility in Coral Springs was also badly damaged and had to be rebuilt after that storm swept through Broward.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
