The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning left Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton for a weeklong practice in Raleigh, North Carolina, where they will open the season at the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Milton, currently a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday night. It had sustained winds of 150 mph as of 11 a.m. ET Tuesday, and forecasters warned of storm surges of up to 15 feet in Tampa Bay, prompting evacuation orders for coastal communities along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The Lightning’s home opener, also against Carolina, is scheduled for Saturday night and is currently open as scheduled.
The NFL’s Buckeyes made a similar decision, deciding to travel early to New Orleans for their game against the Saints on Sunday.
At the college level, the American Athletic Conference announced that the football game between Memphis and South Florida at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa has been rescheduled from Friday night to Saturday.
South Florida is moving its football team to Orlando later Tuesday, coach Alex Golesh said.
The conference plans to monitor conditions after Milton’s passing and adjust accordingly.
The LPGA has postponed qualifying for its Q-Series — which had been scheduled to begin Sunday and run through Oct. 18 at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida — saying in a statement that the safety of athletes, caddies, staff, volunteers and the local community “most important” at the top. The LPGA will announce an update after the storm.
“Our thoughts are with the entire Florida community as we prepare for the storm,” the LPGA said.
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