The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are leaving the state for New Orleans days early as Hurricane Milton looms, a sports writer for the team announced on X.
The Buccaneers aren’t the only sporting event and team affected by the potentially catastrophic hurricane. the Tampa Bay Lightning cancelled a game, and the University of Central Florida is suspending athletics, all due to the threat of the potentially catastrophic hurricane.
The Orlando Magic, however, are already out of town.
On the evening of October 7, the National Weather Service wrote, “#MILTON is expected to grow in size and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane when it approaches the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. A large area of destructive storm surge will occur along parts of the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.”
NWS added, “This is an extremely life-threatening situation and residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”
Here’s a round-up of Hurricane Milton’s effect on some major sports teams and events:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
https://twitter.com/briannadixNFL/status/1843288372548378694
The Buccaneers are playing in New Orleans on Sunday October 13, but they are evacuating Florida days early and heading to Louisiana.
“In preparation of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall, the Bucs will depart Tampa on Tuesday morning and will relocate to the New Orleans area for the remainder of the week leading up to Sunday’s game against the Saints,” wrote Brianna Dix, a Buccaneers writer, on X. “Stay safe everyone!”
The team reposted her comment on its X page.
According to TMZ, the team was initially scheduled to fly to Louisiana next Saturday, days after their current departure.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Stay safe, everyone. 💙
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 7, 2024
If you are in the Tampa Bay area, we encourage you to look at your county for specific safety guidelines.
A few helpful resources ⬇️
Hillsborough: https://t.co/MmkYoiZppT
Pinellas: https://t.co/VQhEnBOz8K
Pasco: https://t.co/kRI30KHUka pic.twitter.com/c9gegxXuKO
On October 6, the Lightning announced on X, “Tomorrow’s game vs. Nashville at @AmalieArena, originally rescheduled from Sep. 27 due to effects from Hurricane Helene, has been cancelled as the Tampa Bay region prepares for Hurricane Milton.”
In a statement, the team added, “Single game ticket holders inquiring about refunds for Monday’s game should contact their original point of purchase. Bolt for Life Members will receive additional information from their account executives.”
“Stay safe, everyone. 💙 If you are in the Tampa Bay area, we encourage you to look at your county for specific safety guidelines,” the Lightning posted on X.
University of Central Florida – UCF
#UCFAlert: Due to Hurricane Milton, @UCF will suspend campus operations and all classes Tuesday through Thursday. More information: https://t.co/smLtaan6qN pic.twitter.com/9jqBrc2mRW
— UCF Police Department (@UCFPolice) October 6, 2024
“With Hurricane Milton approaching the state of Florida, UCF Athletics has canceled all home athletics events on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and Thursday, Oct. 10,” UCF Knights wrote on the school’s website.
“These competitions include Wednesday’s volleyball match against Colorado and Thursday’s women’s soccer match against Arizona. The first day of the men’s tennis ITA Southeast Regionals on Thursday has also been canceled,” the statement says.
“The teams will look to reschedule, but a makeup date is not imminent,” the statement adds. “Friday’s home events (men’s soccer vs. Marshall and volleyball vs. Iowa State) remain as scheduled, as University officials continue to monitor the storm. Saturday’s football game against Cincinnati remains slated for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff from FBC Mortgage.”
Orlando Magic
The Magic are already scheduled to play out of town, in San Antonio and New Orleans, according to the team’s schedule.
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