DuckSouth.com

Posted: **Thu Sep 22, 2005 7:32 pm**

If I heard them correctly they have moved the game to Monday Night

Posted: **Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:09 pm**

Updated: Sep. 22, 2005, 9:34 PM ET
Not again: Rita postpones LSU's first home game
ESPN.com news services

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- LSU's home opener has been delayed by a hurricane once again, and this time it was Rita that forced the Tigers' game against Tennessee scheduled for Saturday to be moved to Monday night.

The Southeastern Conference made the announcement Thursday after a conference call with school officials. The game will start at 7:30 ET and be televised by ESPN2.

"After reviewing all of the information I felt this was the best decision for the game," SEC commissioner Mike Slive said. "The safety of our student-athletes, coaches and fans is our priority. I understand this puts a burden on LSU and its administration, however, the travel safety issues necessitate this decision."

Hurricane Rita was heading toward the Texas Gulf Coast and western Louisiana on Thursday. It was expected to make landfall by late Friday or early Saturday.

LSU's first home game against North Texas was scheduled for Sept. 3, just a few days after Katrina ravaged the New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Then LSU's game against Arizona State, slated for Sept. 10 at Tiger Stadium, was moved to Tempe, Ariz., because of the hurricane aftermath that turned the campus into a temporary shelter, hospital and morgue. The Tigers beat Arizona State 35-31 in Tempe and haven't played since.

"This is another turn in the road for this football team," LSU coach Les Miles said. "It's something that we have gotten used to over the past month. I think we'll respond very well. The players are excited about getting the opportunity to open the home season on Monday night. I expect our fans to pack Tiger Stadium just as if the game were being played on a Saturday night."

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer was opposed to playing this weekend's game on Saturday, believing the conditions would be unsafe for travel.

Even before Rita started making its way toward Louisiana, the Volunteers were going to have an unusual game day. With no hotel rooms available in Baton Rouge, Tennessee planned to fly into the city early Saturday for the night game.

"We've bent over backward to do everything we can to make this happen including going down the day of the game," Fulmer said before the date was changed. "Obviously, if they're sending people out of Louisiana, I don't know why we would be going in. My [university] president will not allow that to happen. I'm sure the conference office will be on the same page."

Fulmer said he advocated playing the game at the end of the season.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Posted: **Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:06 pm**

Fulmer's been tryin' to get this game moved...I guess he had to call on a higher power...although I know he's dissapointed that the SEC didn't move it to Knoxvegas....

Posted: **Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:18 pm**

Fulmer doesn't want to play LSU, 'nuff said. :lol:

He's using excuses to justify it. :lol:

Posted: **Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:26 pm**

I'll be there...oughta be a blast

Posted: **Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:45 am**

Updated: Sep. 23, 2005, 11:33 AM ET
Tennessee was ready to forfeit if LSU game, AD says
Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Third-ranked LSU would have been guaranteed a victory over Tennessee if Saturday night's game in Baton Rouge had not been postponed to Monday.

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said Friday the No. 10 Volunteers were ready to forfeit the game if the team had to travel Saturday despite the threat of Hurricane Rita.

"If we felt like it would be unfair to our student-athletes and not safe for our student-athletes, we were prepared to forfeit the game," Hamilton said.

Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive announced Thursday the game would be moved for safety reasons. Kickoff was set for 7:30 p.m. EDT and will be televised on ESPN2.

LSU officials preferred to have the game played Saturday or Sunday.

"We will now face significant logistical challenges, but we hope for the continued cooperation of our fans," LSU athletic director Skip Bertman said. "Naturally our strong preference would have been to play during the weekend, but safety for student-athletes, fans and everyone else involved in a football game was the overriding factor for the commissioner."

Rita was headed toward the Texas-Louisiana coast and forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday. Baton Rouge was under a tropical storm warning on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Hamilton contacted the SEC office earlier this week to talk about the potential for problems related to the storm. The Vols had planned to fly to Baton Rouge on Saturday morning because of a lack of hotel rooms. Now they will travel Monday morning.

When Rita's path turned more to the north and east, Tennessee pushed harder for a change. Coach Phillip Fulmer was against having the game on Saturday and advocated moving it to the end of the year.

The SEC checked into making the conference championship game in Atlanta a week later to accommodate a Tennessee-LSU game at the end of the regular season, but there was a scheduling conflict with a convention, Hamilton said.

Hurricane Katrina already has forced changes for LSU's football team. The Tigers' had their season opener postponed and their home game against Arizona State two weeks ago moved to Tempe, Ariz.

Posted: **Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:59 am**

Phil should have just called Roy Kramer or the NCAA.

I'm sure they would have done whatever he wanted. :lol:

NEWS FLASH! SEC SLIGHTS UT?

Roy Kramer must be rolling over in his grave. Ooops, the old man isn't dead yet. I cannot believe some of the things I have read and heard in regards to criticism of SEC commissioner Mike Slive! Apparently there are those in Big Orange Country that disagreed with the decision to move the UT/ LSU game to Monday night. Excuse me while I call the million displaced Hurricane victims in the bayou and alert them of Vol Nation's displeasure. Privately I'm sure Coach Fulmer would have loved to make the game up in early December after tough games with Kentucky and Vanderbilt. From a logistical and security aspect, this was a no brainer. A football game in Baton Rouge on Saturday would have put even more stress on an already fractured infrastructure. Playing on Monday was the best scenario for commissioner Slive and the conference.

Paul Finebaum "Blog"