Storm Disrupts ACC Men’s and UConn Women’s Basketball Games
As a powerful winter storm approaches, several college basketball games across the United States have been rescheduled. This storm, predicted to impact areas from New Mexico to New England, could bring hazardous conditions including snow, ice, and frigid temperatures.
Impact on College Basketball Games
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has responded by adjusting the start times for key games on Saturday. These adjustments include:
- Wake Forest vs. Duke
- North Carolina vs. Virginia
- Virginia Tech vs. Louisville
Additionally, the top-ranked UConn women’s basketball team will now play at Seton Hall on Saturday rather than Sunday, due to the storm. Cincinnati’s women’s basketball game against Arizona State has also been moved to a noon start on Saturday.
Wider Impacts of the Storm
The extensive reach of the storm is evident, prompting rescheduling in various states. Last year’s similar storm also affected U.S. sports, indicating a growing trend in weather-related adjustments. The Sun Belt Conference has shifted its women’s basketball schedule, rearranging game times from Thursday to Saturday.
The American Athletic Conference mirrored these changes, moving several games up to Friday. North Carolina Central has postponed four games (two men’s and two women’s) originally set for the upcoming days in Durham, North Carolina.
Additional Game Adjustments
Appalachian State and Marshall made proactive adjustments, moving their basketball games to Thursday. Notably:
- Appalachian State moved its men’s game against Louisiana-Lafayette to Thursday morning.
- Marshall’s game vs. Louisiana-Monroe is now set for a noon start on Thursday.
Middle Tennessee State has also rescheduled its men’s basketball showdown with Jacksonville State to Friday evening.
Other Sports Affected
In addition to basketball games, other sporting events have been rescheduled. Tennessee’s swim meet at Georgia, along with the USC Upstate women’s basketball game at Longwood, has been moved to Friday. Women’s basketball games, such as No. 20 Princeton at Brown and North Florida at Eastern Kentucky, have also been adjusted.
Rice University has modified the timing for its home games this weekend, moving the men’s game against Tulsa to Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and pushing the women’s game against Tulane an hour earlier to 1 p.m.
Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers canceled their annual Fan Fest event scheduled for Saturday due to safety concerns related to the forecast. In the NBA, the game between the Wizards and Hornets in Charlotte has been moved up to noon to mitigate weather-related issues.
As the storm progresses, further adjustments may emerge, highlighting the impact of severe weather on college and professional sports schedules.
