Hurricane Ian forces South Carolina to move game up (updated with TV info)
South Carolina’s game against SC State, originally set for Saturday afternoon, is being moved for weather-related reasons.
2:20 p.m. update: The game will be televised by the SEC Network.
The Gamecocks will now take on the Bulldogs Thursday night at 7 p.m. due to the projected impact of Hurricane Ian on the Palmetto State, multiple sources told GamecockCentral. South Carolina has confirmed the news.
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“Due to the potential impact of the hurricane on Columbia and the surrounding area, it is in the best interest of safety to play the game on Thursday rather than Saturday afternoon,” South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner said. “I appreciate the cooperation of South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough, the South Carolina State administration and the Southeastern Conference officials who worked closely to make the appropriate operational adjustments in order to accommodate this change in the schedule.
“We have been and continue to be in communication with the Governor’s Office and state officials, state and local law enforcement agencies including our campus police and emergency management officials, the Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the city of Columbia Police Department, the National Weather Service, other local authorities and the SEC regarding potential weather issues,” continued Tanner. “Based on the current forecast and expected weather conditions as well as information from our campus, state and local law enforcement agencies, at this time, the University is confident in our ability to host the game on Thursday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
“We will be able to staff traffic, law enforcement, security and other game day operations. The safety of everyone affected by the storm and the minimization of the impact on emergency personnel were the most important factors considered in making the decision,” noted Tanner.
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All tickets issued for Saturday will be honored Thursday night, and fans with an account with the ticket office are encouraged to use their account manager to resell any unused tickets.
The reunion of the 2010-13 football teams has been postponed, according to the release, and hours of operation for university parking lots will operate as normal.
South Carolina is no stranger to having games impacted by weather, having at least three games either moved or canceled due to weather since 2015.
The Gamecocks played at LSU in 2015 after a hurricane, then had the Georgia game in 2016 moved to Sunday for the weather as well. The Marshall game in 2018 was canceled due to weather and South Carolina ultimately played Akron at the end of the season. This is the first time since the Gamecocks have seen their game affected by the weather.
