Tropical Storm Isaias, upgraded to a hurricane on Wednesday night, is threatening the highly anticipated Alabama vs. Georgia SEC football game set for Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. While kickoff remains scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, severe weather is forcing significant changes to game day operations.
Alabama announced on Thursday afternoon that outdoor tailgating on campus will be prohibited before noon on Saturday due to the expected storm conditions. The school urged fans to review updated guidance on tailgating, parking, shuttle services, and pregame activities before arriving. These measures aim to mitigate risks as the hurricane approaches the Gulf Coast and moves inland.
ESPN’s College GameDay, originally planned to be held outdoors, will now take place inside Coleman Coliseum, Alabama’s basketball arena. Doors will open at 6:30 a.m. ET with fans and students allowed to start lining up at 6:15 a.m., according to the network.
Despite the looming storm, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said preparations for the game have continued, including wet ball drills to ready the team for rainy conditions. “Depends on the level of weather you get, it would affect what happens,” DeBoer told Bama247. “It hasn’t affected us much, other than we’re doing wet ball drills and get wet ball involved in some of our team reps, just like we did last week at times, preparing for the rain a week ago. I’m not really involved in too much.”
The National Weather Service forecasts a 100% chance of rain throughout Saturday, with tropical storm conditions likely in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to reach a high near 75 degrees, dropping to around 61 overnight. Winds could gust up to 25 mph, adding to the potential impact on the game environment.
As of now, SEC and Alabama officials have not announced any changes to the kickoff time or location, but they continue to monitor the storm’s path closely. If the game cannot proceed in Tuscaloosa, alternative venues under consideration include the University of Georgia’s stadium in Athens or the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. There is also a possibility the game could be moved to Friday, though nothing is confirmed.
The Alabama-Georgia matchup is the only SEC game in Alabama this week. Other games in the southeastern U.S. are also facing potential weather disruptions. For example, games in the Carolinas, such as ETSU vs. The Citadel, Rice vs. East Carolina, and Davidson vs. Presbyterian, have already been rescheduled to earlier kickoff times to avoid the worst of the storm.
President J. Donald Trump is expected to attend the game, adding to the high-profile nature of the event. The combination of a top-ranked clash between No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama alongside a hurricane threat has created an unusual backdrop for one of college football’s biggest weekends.
Officials will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves, but for now, the game remains set for Saturday night with significant changes to fan activities and precautions in place.
According to Yahoo Sports.
