Ivan postpones Louisville-Tulane; Auburn-LSU in doubt

[DJRamFan]

Sept. 14, 2004
SportsLine.com staff and wire reports

Saturday's Louisville-Tulane game has been postponed because of the impending arrival of Hurricane Ivan, the schools announced Tuesday.

Advertisement


Ivan might also force the postponement of Saturday's Auburn- LSU game scheduled to be played in Alabama.

The Louisville-Tulane game at New Orleans' Superdome will be rescheduled for Dec. 3 or 4.

"With the uncertainty of the effect of the storm on the city, we felt postponing the game was the best decision for the safety of our student-athletes, as well as any fans," said Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson.

Tulane has cancelled classes for Wednesday and Thursday. All of New Orleans is under involuntary evacuation status.

Auburn cancelled classes for the remainder of the week early Tuesday night. Interim president Ed Richardson made the decision to cancel Wednesday, Thursday and Friday classes after consulting with weather and emergency personnel.

There was no announcement regarding Saturday's Auburn-LSU game. However, a school spokesman said it appeared the two schools are "determined" to play the game.

A decision could be made as late as Friday morning on the game, the spokesman said. LSU is due to leave Baton Rouge at 5:15 p.m. ET on Friday for the 3:30 pm. ET game on Saturday.

"The safety of our students is our number one priority," Richardson said in a statement. "We feel it is in their best interest to err on the side of caution."

Latest projections show that the Auburn may receive a severe hit from Ivan although Saturday's forecast is for sunny skies. The storm is expected to pass through Alabama between early Thursday and early Friday. An ominous sign: The Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum will open as a shelter at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, staffed by the Red Cross.

Because of the potential for damaging winds and flooding high-profile RVs are not allowed on campus until further notice. Only designated school staff are to report for work on Thursday and Friday.

Also a concern is the Florida vs. Tennessee game in Knoxville, Tenn., which could be affected. The storm is expected to move through eastern Tennessee on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, the NFL's New Orleans Saints also joined the mass exodus of people fleeing the Big Easy and moved their base of operations Tuesday to San Antonio, far from the reach of approaching Hurricane Ivan.

The team will continue its practice and meeting schedule in San Antonio on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The Saints expect to return to New Orleans Friday afternoon for Sunday's game in the Superdome against the San Francisco *****.