LSU game vs. Troy postponed until Nov. 15
Troy athletic director Steve Dennis said his university was happy to accommodate the postponement.
"This is a football game, nothing more, and the people of Baton Rouge have more to worry about right now than a football game," Dennis said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Baton Rouge and LSU and we wish them nothing but the best as they work to overcome the effects of this storm."
Trees are down on campus and throughout Baton Rouge, some resting on the roofs of houses. Dangling and shredded power lines were also a common sight.
Normally, more than 100,000 fans flock to campus for LSU games, enjoying tailgate parties even if they cannot gain entrance to 91,600-seat Tiger Stadium, then filling area hotels.
LSU officials said there was no way the Baton Rouge area could accommodate such an event this weekend, but remained hopeful that a scheduled home game on Sept. 13 against North Texas would be played in Death Valley.
Haliburton said some damaged features in the stadium, such as the awnings, would be removed but not likely replaced right away. The goal is simply to make the stadium safe enough to pass a fire marshal's approval.
The eye of Gustav passed just west of Baton Rouge, battering the capital city with recorded gusts of 74 mph for hours. Damage appeared worse in Baton Rouge than in New Orleans, where the Saints remain scheduled to play their regular season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Louisiana Superdome on Sunday.
Tropical Storm Hanna also is causing schedule changes this weekend. The Colgate-Coastal Carolina football game has been moved from Saturday night to Sunday at 1 p.m. in Conway, S.C.
Alleva said LSU officials briefly talked about asking Superdome officials if they could host LSU's game this Saturday, but because Troy and LSU shared the same open date, and because a number of residents across many parts of the state are still reeling from the storm, it made more sense to reschedule the game for Tiger Stadium later this fall.
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