Tag: hurricane ida

REPORT: Oklahoma vs. Tulane moved to Norman as Hurricane Ida envelopes the Southeast

Per a report from Curtis Fitzpatrick of Fox 24 and WWLS the Sports Animal in OKC, OU’s week one matchup with Tulane is moving to Norman.

As Hurricane Ida began to make its way toward the south coast, athletic directors from the University of Oklahoma and Tulane University began to monitor the situation per a release from the athletic department late last week. As the category four hurricane made landfall, those contingencies have now been put into action.

With the Oklahoma Sooners season opener just six days away, and as Hurricane Ida wreaks havoc on New Orleans’ citizens and infrastructure, the game has been relocated.

Per a report from Curtis Fitzpatrick of Fox 24 and WWLS The Sports Animal out of Oklahoma City, the Sooners will now be playing their season opener in Norman.

Though there hasn’t been an official announcement from the universities at this point, this is the only decision that seems reasonable if they wanted to play the game.

While there will be a change of venue, it’s likely that the game will stay at the same time, 11:00 a.m. CST as it was originally slated for ABC.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions.

Saints players, rival NFC South teams send Louisiana well-wishes ahead of Hurricane Ida

Current, former Saints players send Louisiana well-wishes ahead of Hurricane Ida

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It doesn’t take long for any new Louisiana residents to appreciate the dangers of hurricane season. So with Hurricane Ida crashing down on the Gulf Coast, many current and former New Orleans Saints players took a moment to express their concern for the community they’ve called home. Even other teams around the NFC South set their rivalries aside in solidarity with the storm-struck region.

Saints owner Gayle Benson commissioned a pair of commercial flights to evacuate players, personnel, and their families to Dallas, but many, many Louisiana residents inside and outside of New Orleans weren’t able to get out of the area before Ida made landfall on Sunday. Everyone is thinking of them and hoping for the best. Here are what some players shared on social media:

LSU relocating to Houston before heading to Los Angeles on Thursday

LSU will relocate to Houston, Texas, in preparation for the week one game against UCLA due to Hurricane Ida.

The LSU Tigers are preparing for their week one matchup with UCLA set for Sept. 4. With Hurricane Ida making landfall in Lousiana, the team has relocated as they prepare to play football. According to Brody Miller of The Athletic, the team has moved to Houston, Texas, for the next several days. They will then head to Los Angeles, California, on Thursday.

This was likely going to be the case with the storms in southern Louisiana taking place. LSU is prepping to get Max Johnson ready to take the field at The Rose Bowl for the first-ever matchup between UCLA and LSU. The team will work out at NRG Stadium per sports information director Michael Bonnette.

[listicle id=23320]

[listicle id=23359]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Sooners’ A.D. releases statement on OU’s Sep. 4 game in New Orleans

With weather concerns growing as Hurricane Ida threatens New Orleans, Sooners Athletic Director Joe Castiglione updated the opener’s status.

Amid weather concerns regarding the potential landfall of Hurricane Ida working it’s way up the Gulf of Mexico, the Oklahoma Sooners Sep. 4 matchup with the Tulane Green Wave has been put in doubt.

As the two universities continue to track the situation, University of Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione released a statement Friday about the upcoming season opener.

Statement from OU Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione:

As the National Weather Service tracks tropical storm and hurricane activity in the Atlantic and Gulf Regions, and as predictive models are updated, we have received many inquiries from fans planning to follow the Sooners to New Orleans next week when we open the 2021 football season at Tulane University. In the spirit of proactive planning and communication, I have been in regular contact with Tulane Athletics Director Troy Dannen for the past month. In the past few days, we have stayed in even closer contact as we continue to monitor the development of Hurricane Ida, which is currently forecasted to arrive along the Gulf Coast this weekend. First and foremost, our concern is with any and all those in the path of the storm. We are praying for everyone’s safety. At this time, the game slated for Saturday, September 4, is still on as planned. However, both universities are considering contingencies should post-storm conditions warrant. It is too early to speculate, but we will continue to monitor the situation and be prepared to take necessary actions as appropriate. Again, our concern rests with our friends at Tulane and all of those who could be impacted by the hurricane. Please follow OU Athletics online accounts for updates. – Courtesy of OU Athletic Department

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Tulane Green Wave will meet for just the second time in their respective histories. The Sooners won the last matchup in a blow out. Next week’s matchup could stay in New Orleans. There’s a possibility the game is rescheduled, relocated, or even cancelled if the weather doesn’t allow for travel.

As the weather situation continues to evolve, the University of Oklahoma will continue to update the status of the Sooners’ opener.

[listicle id=36380]

Saints to evacuate to Dallas, continue practice at Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium

Saints to evacuate to Dallas, continue practice at Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Hurricane Ida continues to prompt changes for the New Orleans Saints. The team canceled its Aug. 28 preseason game with the Arizona Cardinals due to the approach of a strong hurricane, and now they’re planning to follow a citywide voluntary evacuation order and fly out to Dallas for several days.

The Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Jeff Duncan and Amie Just first reported the Saints’ evacuation plan, which was confirmed by the Athletic’s Katherine Terrell. The Saints intend to practice at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium through Wednesday, Sept. 1.

It’s going to be a difficult few days for several reasons. Beyond the temporary relocation to Dallas, the Saints must also file their final wave of roster cuts on Tuesday by trimming down from 80 players to just 53, with some players brought back to the practice squad later in the week.

Still, navigating this move and those tough personnel decisions is going to make for a tumultuous week — on top of the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s hoping New Orleans avoids the worst of Hurricane Ida’s wrath and everyone is able to remain safe in the week ahead.

[listicle id=48626]