Irma won’t disrupt UF, Tennessee

Game will go on as planned Saturday

GAINESVILLE — Hurricane Irma will not force the Florida Gators to alter Saturday’s home game against the Tennessee Volunteers.

Officials decided Tuesday to play the SEC-opening matchup for both schools as scheduled at 3:30 p.m. in the Swamp.

“There has been a tremendous amount of cooperation between local authorities, the Southeastern Conference and the Tennessee athletic program throughout this process and we are grateful for these strong partnerships,” UF athletics director Scott Stricklin said in a statement from the school.

Irma put the game’s status into question after the storm hit early Monday morning and left Gainesville covered in debris, with many parts of the city without power and some roads flooded.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement Monday afternoon, stating his office, along with UF and city officials, were assessing whether the game could be

played.

He later praised the decision to play the game as scheduled.

“The University of Florida has been diligent in assessing the impact of Hurricane Irma on the Gainesville community and has made a thoughtful decision in moving forward with the game,” Sankey said in a statement. “We appreciate the communication, coordination and cooperation among the many agencies and groups necessary to produce a game in a safe environment. Our prayers remain with the people of Florida as well as Texas as they recover from Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.”

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium did not suffer any damage. But the availability of gas, access along Interstate 75 and lodging for Tennessee’s team were question marks.

Proper staffing also was a concern. More than 3,300 working personnel, 17 government agencies and outside vendors are needed to conduct a game for a crowd of around 90,000 people at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

UF said fans should expect increased congestion and traffic before the game due to continued storm clean up and encouraged fans to be in their seats 30 minutes earlier than normal.

Florida canceled this past Saturday’s visit from Northern Colorado due to the storm.

On Monday, UCF canceled Saturday’s visit from Georgia Tech in Orlando. Last week, Florida State and Miami moved Saturday’s game in Tallahassee to Oct. 7, when each team had an open date.

USF, however, decided to host Illinois as planned at 7 p.m. Friday night in Tampa.

The No. 23 Vols (2-0) and No. 24 Gators (0-1) do not share the same bye week, leading some to speculate the matchup could be moved to Atlanta.

Atlanta, however, was hit by Irma Monday and faces its own logistical issues.

If Irma had forced the Gators to cancel the Tennessee game, UF’s first home game would have been Sept. 30 against Vanderbilt. The Gators visit Kentucky on Sept. 23.

In the wake of the hurricane, the Vols still expected to visit the Swamp this weekend.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones told reporters Monday, “We fully anticipate playing the game in Gainesville.”

On Tuesday, new UT athletics director John Currie said, “We appreciate the communication from both our friends in Gainesville and the conference office as this assessment was made. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by Hurricane Irma and other recent storms throughout the SEC footprint, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to travel to Florida this weekend.”

UF was scheduled to return to the practice field Tuesday and begin preparation for the Vols. The Gators have much work ahead and improvements to make.

During a 33-17 seasonopening loss Sept. 2 to Michigan, UF managed just just 192 yards and no touchdowns on offense. The defense gave up 423 yards to the Wolverines.

Proper staffing also was a concern. More than 3,300 working personnel ... are needed to conduct a game for a crowd of around 90,000 people at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.