South Carolina-Georgia Game Will be Played in Columbia

With Hurricane Matthew approaching the Atlantic coast of the United States, speculation had been brewing that this Saturday’s South Carolina-Georgia game could be moved, but per a statement from South Carolina’s athletic department the game will be played in Columbia.

The statement in full is as follows:

The University of South Carolina and its athletics department are continuing to monitor the movements of Hurricane Matthew as it relates to the scheduled football game with the University of Georgia. We are in communication with the National Weather Service, state and local authorities and the SEC regarding potential weather issues.

We anticipate a decision about the game to be made on Thursday. The safety of everyone affected by the storm and the minimization of the impact on emergency personnel are the most important factors in making the decision.

The USC vs. UGA game will be played in Columbia. Currently, kickoff is still slated for 7:30 pm Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.

On Wednesday, Chip Towers of the AJC/dawgnation.com reported that the game could be moved to the Georgia Dome but that now appears to be off the table.

The statement above from South Carolina did not address any potential postponements of the game as it is scheduled. Moving the game to another weekend is not really an option as South Carolina and Georgia do not share a bye date. Per an interview with WNKT radio, South Carolina Executive Associate Athletic Director Charles Bloom said that moving the game to Sunday or Monday is a possibility if the game is unable to be played Saturday.

The game being delayed until Monday has a precedent as LSU and Tennessee shifted their 2005 game to the Monday evening after the game was originally scheduled due to Hurricane Rita.