The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will temporarily relocate to the New Orleans area as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s west coast, ahead of their game against the Saints on Sunday. The team plans to depart on Tuesday and will conduct their preparations out of state rather than at their training facility in Tampa.
Hurricane Milton, which intensified into a Category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, is projected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday.
In related news, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have canceled their preseason finale against the Nashville Predators scheduled for Monday night, a game previously postponed from September 27 due to Hurricane Helene, which caused significant damage to the region.
The Lightning will commence their regular season at Carolina on Friday, although it’s unclear if they will move to Raleigh, North Carolina, prior to the storm.
Meanwhile, the NBA’s Orlando Magic are on the road this week, playing in New Orleans on Monday and at San Antonio on Wednesday.
College sports are also feeling the impact, as the University of Central Florida announced the cancellation of all home athletic events on Wednesday and Thursday. This includes Wednesday’s volleyball match against Colorado, Thursday’s women’s soccer match against Arizona, and the first day of the men’s tennis ITA Southeast Regionals.
The Knights are still scheduled to play Saturday’s Big 12 home football game against Cincinnati, set for a 3:30 PM ET kickoff. Coach Gus Malzahn stated that the team plans to practice on Wednesday morning before the storm’s effects reach the Orlando area, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their routine. “We’re trying to stay in our routine as best we can,” Malzahn said. “We’ll adjust with it, and we have a plan no matter what happens.”
Stay updated with ECNETNews for the latest developments on Hurricane Milton and its impact on sports in the region.
