Due to the potential impacts of Hurricane Irma, University of Central Florida officials have decided to move up the Knights' home football game against the University of Memphis to 6:30 p.m. Friday at Spectrum Stadium.
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, but in a statement, UCF says it needs time to secure the stadium and campus should Hurricane Irma threaten the area. Irma is currently a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds at 185 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. The Spectrum Stadium and its parking lots will open for fans at 5 p.m., though no tailgating will be allowed. Family Weekend activities on Friday have also been canceled.
"First responders throughout Central Florida will be preparing for this Category 5 storm and UCF will not have the law enforcement resources needed to staff tailgating areas," a university statement says. "Additionally, the university does not want to disrupt Friday afternoon classes with an unplanned campus closure for tailgating."
Danny White, vice president and director of athletics, says this is the best option for ensuring the game is played.
"With travel considerations, we had to make that decision today," White says in a statement. "I thank the University of Memphis and the American Athletic Conference for working with us to keep safety our top priority while finding a way to play this game."
For more information about the game change to Friday or ticket questions, click here.
UCF's updates about Hurricane Irma are available here. Students, faculty and staff can also find information about the storm on UCF's website, the UCF Twitter account or the UCF Police Twitter account.
Courtney Gilmartin, a spokesperson for the college, says UCF’s Campus Safety Fair will still take place on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in UCF Student Union. There will be demonstrations available for students to learn how to build a hurricane kit.
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