What games have been impacted by Hurricane Milton? NFL, NBA, college, golf...
While sport is the least of the concerns, we saw the disruption to the schedule caused by Helene, but worse could be on its way.
As Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida as a ferocious Category 5 storm, the sports world is once again reminded that Mother Nature doesn’t care about your game day plans. Florida’s teams are scrambling, some heading for higher ground while others adjust schedules and hope for the best. Here’s how it’s shaking out.
What’s happening with the Buccaneers and Lightning?
The NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, clearly well-practiced in storm evasion, packed up and fled to New Orleans. The Bucs are set to play the Saints this Sunday, and while the game itself remains on track, the team’s midweek preparations are happening far away from Tampa’s storm surge. At this point, it’s almost like the Glazers (the Bucs’ owners) have a standing hurricane relocation plan given this isn’t their first rodeo in dodging Florida’s furious weather.
From @NFLGameDay: The #Bucs are doing everything to make sure their football team — and people who work in the organization— stay safe with Hurricane Milton looming. pic.twitter.com/cSUScfyciK
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 7, 2024
On the ice, the Tampa Bay Lightning have also decided to give Florida a wide berth. Their season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes (the irony is not lost on anyone) will go ahead as planned in Raleigh, North Carolina. However, a preseason exhibition against the Nashville Predators, originally postponed by Hurricane Helene, got the final axe thanks to Milton.
College football and golf hit by Milton
In college football, the American Athletic Conference has rescheduled the Memphis vs South Florida game, moving it from Friday night to Saturday. UCF is holding firm for now on its Big 12 home game against Cincinnati, scheduled for Saturday in Orlando, but they’ve already shuffled other events, including volleyball and soccer matches, to avoid the storm’s wrath.
Sources: The game scheduled for Friday with Memphis playing at USF has been moved to Saturday because of Hurricane Milton. Game time on Saturday is still to be determined.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 8, 2024
On the golf front, the LPGA Tour’s Q-Series qualifying event, scheduled for next week at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida, is postponed until further notice. In basketball the NBA’s Miami Heat preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks has been delayed by a few days, now set for October 16.
The good news? Well, most of these events are simply a case of adjusting and rescheduling rather than facing outright cancellations. Let’s hope the same can be said for the buildings in the path of Milton’s fury, although predictions suggest otherwise.
Complete your personal details to comment