No. 17 LSU's home game vs. Missouri scheduled for Saturday at 9 p.m. has been moved to Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri, due to the threat of Hurricane Delta. Kickoff is set for noon ET, the schools announced on Wednesday.
"Due to the pending impact of Hurricane Delta on Louisiana and the surrounding area, it is in the best interest for the safety of everyone involved to move the game to Columbia," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. "It was critical to relocate the game to an SEC campus where SEC COVID-19 management protocols are in place and readily applied. I appreciate the cooperation of the schools who are working closely to make the appropriate operational adjustments in order to prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes while accommodating this change in the schedule."
Hurricane Delta, which made landfall over the Yucatan peninsula on Wednesday as a Category 2 storm, is expected to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico before landing along the Gulf Coast. Current forecast models have the storm landing somewhere along the Louisiana coast Friday afternoon.
"We have been working with the SEC and LSU since Monday when it became apparent that Hurricane Delta could disrupt this weekend's game, and made it known that we would be glad to host the game if it would help out LSU and the Baton Rouge community," Mizzou AD Jim Sterk said in a statement. "While both Mizzou and LSU shared a common open date next month, getting the game played on its scheduled date was important because of the week to week uncertainty surrounding potential COVID-19 disruptions down the road. Our thoughts during this difficult time are with all of those in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf region as they prepare for Hurricane Delta in the upcoming days."
Mizzou is opening seating to a select number of fans to attend the game.
