Tropical Storm Isaias is projected to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane this weekend, coinciding with a major college football game between No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama on Saturday night, which President Donald Trump plans to attend. Forecasters indicate that Isaias could strengthen into a hurricane by Thursday and make landfall late Friday or early Saturday along the Alabama-Mississippi-Florida coastlines before moving north. This situation may lead to cancellations, changes in kickoff times, or relocations of games. The Southwestern Athletic Conference has already rescheduled Florida A&M's game against Alabama State from Saturday to Friday morning.
Trump, who attended a previous game between Texas and Tennessee, expressed his desire to attend the game, stating, "I love Alabama. I've got to go to the game," while acknowledging the need to prioritize the focus on first responders and police in light of the storm.
Georgia and Alabama have not yet announced any backup plans for the game, which is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Eastern in Tuscaloosa, located 200 miles inland from the coast. Alabama officials stated that there are currently no plans to alter the contest, but they, along with the Southeastern Conference (SEC), will continue to monitor the situation. The SEC has the authority to make final decisions regarding the game.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart commented on the uncertainty, saying, "It's uncertainty beyond my control. I'm focused on trying to prepare our team and game plan and scheme." He noted that the team had similar preparations last week due to severe weather threats surrounding their game against Vanderbilt, which ultimately did not impact the outcome.
The storm poses risks of flash flooding, strong winds, heavy rain, and tornadoes, leading to cancellations of other events in Alabama. Meteorologist James Spann suggested that moving the game to Sunday night would be a prudent choice. Both coaches, Smart and Alabama's Kalen DeBoer, have been receiving updates but did not provide specific contingency plans.
Historically, games have been postponed due to hurricanes, such as Alabama's game at Texas A&M in 1988, which was moved to December due to Hurricane Gilbert, and Georgia's game at South Carolina in 2016, which was rescheduled to Sunday due to Hurricane Matthew.