Clemson to play as storm batters coast

Clemson is CLEMSON, moving forward with plans to host its scheduled football game on Saturday while Hurricane Florence wreaks havoc on the Carolinas’ coastline with officials bracing for historic flooding and recordsetting rainfall that has forced people to evacuate their homes to escape the wrath of the storm.

School officials reiterated their plans Friday morning, saying the kickoff against Georgia Southern remains set for noon EDT Saturday.

While Clemson officials believe the school and stadium — which are about 250 miles from the South Carolina coast — are not in harm’s way, there has been backlash for what is being viewed by some as a narrow view of the situation.

There have been questions about how safe it can possibly be to have about 80,000 people — many traveling on South Carolina highways to and from the game in what could be rapidly changing conditions — together for football game and placing more demands on already strained state resources.

Instead of the usual 100110 state troopers on hand for a game, there will only be 16.

Clemson (20) is the lone major conference school from the Carolinas and Virginia playing its scheduled home game Saturday.

No. 13 Virginia Tech, North Carolina and North Carolina State all canceled home games. Virginia’s home game with Ohio was moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Clemson’s state rival less than 150 miles East, South Carolina, called off its game Saturday night due to the storm.