Storm washes out games, has UH headed to Austin
The University of Houston football team training at former coach Tom Herman’s facilities in Austin? The Cowboys offering to host the Texans?
Hurricane Harvey, despite the threat it posed as it worked its way toward the Texas coast, created a welcoming climate among rivals as area sports teams found ways to cope with the weather.
With Harvey expected to affect the region for several days, the impact could carry over for a while. The Astros are scheduled to play at home Tuesday, and the Texans have their final preseason game at NRG Stadium on Thursday — the same day that high school football kicks off.
A look at how Hurricane Harvey impacted area sports teams and what’s ahead:
Look who’s in Austin
The University of Houston is relocating its football operations to the University of Texas’ practice facilities in Austin at least through the weekend and possibly into early next week.
UH is scheduled to open the season Sept. 2 at Texas-San Antonio.
“(Thursday) as it became apparent that Harvey was going to have a significant impact throughout the weekend and early into next week, we reached out to schools within the state of Texas that we have great relationships with, and inquired about the opportunity for our football program to practice and use their facilities as we are relocating outside of Houston,” athletic director Hunter Yurachek said.
Yurachek said UH received offers from Baylor, SMU and TCU to use their facilities but opted to move to Austin because of available hotel accommodations and its proximity to Houston.
“I called (UT athletics director ) Mike Perrin, and without hesitation Mike said ‘absolutely. We’d be glad to help. Let me run it up the chain of command here at Texas. I don’t foresee that being a problem.’ And within 10 minutes, he called and said, ‘we’ll make it happen.’ ”
UH will practice Saturday and Sunday and will return to Houston as soon as possible
“We are grateful to the University of Texas and its football program for opening their doors to us,” UH coach Major Applewhite said in a statement. “We ask everyone to keep the city of Houston, all affected areas across the Gulf Coast and its residents in their thoughts and prayers.”
Switching sites?
The Cowboys have offered to make AT&T Stadium in Arlington available to the Texans as a potential contingency site in case Hurricane Harvey impacts their scheduled preseason finale game Thursday night at NRG Stadium.
“We want to help in any way we can,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told Dallas-area media.
The NFL makes the final decision about where games are played in the interest of safety and competitive fairness. That decision will hinge on several factors, including the amount of flooding and whether the Houston airports are open for travel.
At this point, the game remains scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday.
Bearkats knocked off TV
Sam Houston State was thrilled with its time slot in playing host to Richmond on Sunday night on national television in a top-10 matchup of Football Championship Subdivision football teams, but that will have to wait.
The schools announced that they were postponing the contest until a later date.
The fourth-ranked Bearkats and No. 7 Spiders were scheduled to be the only game in college football Sunday night.
“The safety of both teams, personnel and fans are of the utmost importance and we expect to make a decision soon that is in the best interest of all involved,” Sam Houston State athletic director Bobby Williams said in a statement on Friday. “I would also like to thank the officials from the University of Richmond for their patience and cooperation in the handling of this situation.”
Soccer games postponed
The Dynamo and Dash home games scheduled for this weekend at BBVA Compass Stadium were pushed back until later in the season.
The Dynamo’s game against Sporting Kansas City was rescheduled for Oct. 11. A makeup date for the Dash, who were scheduled to play North Carolina, has not been set.
All tickets for Saturday’s Dynamo match will be valid for the new date. Tickets for the Dash game also will be valid for the rescheduled date.
“Under the circumstances, the clear and obvious decision is to reschedule these matches. The most important thing is the safety of our community,” Dynamo and Dash president Chris Canetti said in a release. “I appreciate the support of MLS, NWSL, Sporting Kansas City and the North Carolina Courage in working through this difficult situation with us. On behalf of the Dynamo, Dash and BBVA Compass Stadium, we wish for everyone’s utmost safety and security throughout the storm.”
Looking ahead
LSU and BYU are scheduled to open the college football season at NRG Stadium on Sept. 2 but are keeping an eye on the weather.
Last year, LSU’s road game at Florida was wiped out by Hurricane Matthew. The two schools eventually played in Baton Rouge, La., after a rescheduling process that left bruised feelings all around. LSU officials said they will be in “regular contact” with Houston officials on the conditions at NRG.
“We know all too well the challenges of facing a storm of this magnitude and stand ready to assist in any way,” LSU said in a statement.