Hurricane Ivan threatens Auburn-LSU, Florida-Tennessee games

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said Tuesday he believes schools officials will make a decision Thursday or Friday on whether to play Saturday's game against Louisiana State in the aftermath of what is expected to be a hit from Hurricane Ivan.

While there is no official word from school officials, they are monitoring the situation.

"The hurricane eye is supposed to hit here at around noon on Thursday," Tuberville said Tuesday morning. "It's going to give us two days to determine the extent of damage and get everything cleaned up. You just never know if you're going to have power.

"We want to make sure it's safe for everybody traveling."

Auburn officials will not allow the traditional game-week RVs on campus until further notice. A lot of those vehicles park in a hay field near Jordan-Hare Stadium that could become flooded.

Obviously, Ivan's path is not exactly clear. Hurricane watches have been issued from the Florida panhandle to just west of New Orleans. Latest projections show the storm hitting the Auburn area Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Also a concern is the Florida vs. Tennessee game in Knoxville, Tenn., which could be affected. The storm is expected to move through eastern Tennessee on Saturday morning.

"We're in a wait-and-see mode," an Auburn spokesman said. "I don't think there is any huge rush today ... Nobody really seems to have an answer. I don't even know if that's (Tuberville's statements) right."

Forecasts actually call for sunny skies Saturday in Auburn. But there are other considerations that include flooding and loss of electricity. A contingency plan is being developed that could move the LSU-Auburn game to Nov. 6.