With many parts of Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey, both the NFL and NCAA have changed the locations of games on their respective schedules.
Parts of Texas, including the Houston area, are still dealing with the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. As the recovery in these areas continues, there have been some developments in the sports world, including the decision in Major League Baseball to relocate a series between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers to Tropicana field in St. Petersburg, FL. Teams in baseball have been looking to assist in the ongoing recovery efforts, and there have been similar initiatives around football.
On Monday, the NFL confirmed that it will relocate Thursday’s preseason game between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys to AT&T Stadium (shown above). The game was initially slated to be played at Houston’s NRG Stadium, but is shifting to Arlington. In its announcement, the NFL revealed that the NFL Foundation will match a $1 million donation to by Texans owner Robert McNair to the United Way Relief Fund. Other owners, including the New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft and the Tennessee Titans’ Amy Adams Strunk, have also announced donations.
At the collegiate level, Rice University football has relocated to Texas Christian University and are expected to remain there until it is safe to return to Houston.
Meanwhile, a high-profile game between LSU and BYU is being relocated to New Orleans from Houston. Scheduled for September 2, the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff was originally slated for NRG Stadium, but the game will now be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The news was announced on Monday evening, after several other facilities–including Nashville’s Nissan Stadium and Dallas’ Cotton Bowl–had been reported as possible home venues.
In an announcement on its website, LSU stated that athletic director Joe Alleva said that “LSU Athletics is working with LSU University officials to identify practical ways they can contribute to the recovery efforts in Texas and Louisiana in the very near future.”
The original kickoff times for Thursday’s NFL preseason game and the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff remain in place. Thursday’s game will still begin at 7:00 p.m. central, while Saturday’s contest will begin at 8:30 p.m. central.
Image courtesy Dallas Cowboys.