Saturday’s game between No. 17 LSU and Missouri has been moved from Baton Rouge, La., to Columbia, Mo., due to Hurricane Delta, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey announced Wednesday.
The game will be played at noon ET instead of its originally scheduled time of 9 p.m. ET.
”It was critical to relocate the game to an SEC campus where SEC COVID-19 management protocols are in place and readily applied,” Sankey said in the statement. ”I appreciate the cooperation of the schools who are working closely to make the appropriate operational adjustments in order to prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes while accommodating this change in the schedule.”
Delta is expected to make landfall in Louisiana on Friday.
Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency in preparation for Delta, which made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday as a Category 2 storm.
LSU (1-1) bounced back from a 44-34 loss to Mississippi to rout Vanderbilt 41-7 last weekend. Missouri (0-2) is playing its third consecutive ranked opponent, having been outscored 73-31 in losses to No. 2 Alabama and at Tennessee, which is now ranked No. 14.
ESPN reported Wednesday that the storm could force Monday night’s scheduled game between the Saints and Los Angeles Chargers to move from New Orleans to Indianapolis.
Directly to the north in Oxford, Miss., coach Lane Kiffin said he’s taken part in various scenarios for Ole Miss’ game against No. 2 Alabama, set for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.
“We’ve heard three options,” Kiffin said. “One would be Friday, one would be Sunday and one would be later in the year. I don’t think we’ll know until (Thursday) for sure. I think they’re kind of holding off with the most accurate weather we can get. Nothing has changed so far.”
There is a 100 percent chance of rain for Saturday in Oxford, but Kiffin said it remains likely the game will be played as scheduled.
If the game is postponed, both teams have a bye on Saturday, Nov. 7.
