The universities have no current plans to move Saturday’s college football game despite forecasts of heavy rain and possible flooding in Tuscaloosa. Officials are monitoring the tropical storm.
Georgia is ranked No. 2 and Alabama No. 6. The teams plan to play at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, CBS Sports reported. The SEC said it is tracking forecasts and staying in contact with universities whose games could be affected by weather. The kickoff time could change, but the game is currently scheduled to go ahead.
The Associated Press reported that Tropical Storm Isaias formed off eastern Mexico and could become the Atlantic season’s first hurricane, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It is expected to reach the Gulf Coast on Friday or early Saturday, though its track and timing could still change. Forecasts call for heavy rain, possible flooding and high winds across parts of the Southeast.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said tropical-storm conditions cannot be accurately reproduced in practice. His team is preparing for different scenarios and reviewing how teams have handled games in bad weather. He said weather threats do not change much about practice, which is planned for the long season rather than one week.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said the team is practicing with wet balls for a second straight week after preparing for rain ahead of last week’s win over Mississippi State. Alabama said on Tuesday it had no plans to alter the game. Both coaches said they are continuing their usual preparation, while officials keep watching the forecast.