President Donald Trump plans to attend the 6:30 p.m. Saturday SEC showdown between No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, but his travel and the game face potential disruption as Hurricane Isaias strengthens and tracks toward the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Isaias Threatens Gulf Coast Landfall Before Tuscaloosa Game
Meteorologists are tracking the storm as it intensifies off the Gulf Coast, with forecasters projecting a landfall late Friday or early Saturday somewhere along the Alabama, Mississippi, or Florida coastlines before moving north as Isaias strengthened into a hurricane late Wednesday. The system brings the threat of dangerous winds, heavy rain, flash floods, and tornadoes to the region.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency covering 40 counties, including Tuscaloosa County, as communities prepare for severe conditions according to local reports. The Southwestern Athletic Conference moved Florida A&M’s game against Alabama State from Saturday to Friday morning to avoid the worst of the weather.
President Trump Evaluates Tuscaloosa Visit During State Emergency
President Trump confirmed earlier in the week that he intended to travel to Tuscaloosa following an afternoon political rally in Tennessee to attend the marquee matchup. The visit would mark his second SEC game of the season following a late September trip to Knoxville where Texas defeated Tennessee.
When briefed on the hurricane’s projected path on Wednesday morning, the President indicated his attendance would depend entirely on the storm’s severity and the safety of local residents as the weather system menaced the coast.
“Look, I mean, if there’s an emergency, if there’s a hurricane, I don’t want to do anything to take the focus of all of the great people that work on those things. You know, they have some tremendously great people….So we’ll have to see… Certainly, I’m going to let the hurricane determine. I want people to be safe, that’s all.”
President Donald Trump, via Daily Mail
Officials Monitor Conditions With No Schedule Changes Announced
Scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the game itself remains on schedule while administrators evaluate incoming forecasts though the University of Alabama noted that no official plans have been made to alter the contest. The Southeastern Conference maintains ongoing communication with both universities and the National Weather Service according to athletic department statements.
Hurricane Matthew prompted the rescheduling of a Georgia game at South Carolina to Sunday, while an LSU-Florida matchup that same Saturday was pushed to November. Head coaches Kalen DeBoer and Kirby Smart are proceeding with standard weekly preparations while acknowledging the uncontrollable variables presented by the forecast as the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs game approaches.
“It’s uncertainty beyond my control. So, we as coaches game plan for multiple situations, weather conditions when they’re there. We had that same prep last week with the threat of those things. So, it doesn’t change a lot about practice. You have to practice good on good. You got to practice for the long term of the season, not just for one week.”
Kirby Smart, Georgia Head Coach, via ESPN
DeBoer reported that the Crimson Tide integrated wet-ball drills into team practices mirroring preparations used ahead of previous rainy conditions ahead of the 6:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.