College Sports

Temple-Rutgers opener postponed two days by Hurricane Ida

Posted September 02, 2021 7:00 am

By TOM CANAVAN

Cars are pilled after flooding as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ida at Oakwood Plaza Apartments complex in Elizabeth, NJ., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) The Associated Press

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - The season-opening game between Temple and Rutgers scheduled for Thursday night has been postponed until Saturday after the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over parts of the Northeast.

Rutgers' stadium sits on the banks of the Raritan River and some towns in northern New Jersey reported receiving as many as 8 inches of rain on Wednesday night. Flooding was reported in many areas Thursday and some major roads leading to the stadium were closed.

The game was rescheduled for noon Saturday. Tickets and parking passes issued for Thursday's game at SHI Stadium, which was a sellout, will be honored, Rutgers officials said.

The game was to be the first at the 52,000-plus seat stadium without attendance restrictions since 2019. Crowds were limited last season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

'œI think it was a prudent decision to postpone the game until Saturday, and that would allow everyone to get here by car instead of by boat,'ť Piscataway Chief of Police Thomas Mosier said in a video posted by the township.

Earlier in the day, Mayor Brian C. Wahler had asked that no fans be allowed if Rutgers decided to play the game as scheduled on Thursday night. He said Piscataway got more than 7 inches of rain and hundreds of customers were without power. After the postponement was announced, Wahler cautioned that some roads still may be closed Saturday.

Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs said the decision to postpone the game was made to keep people safe.

'œWe're still learning the full extent of the damage, and sadly the loss of life,'ť he said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "I know our fans were eager to be in a sold-out stadium tonight cheering on their Scarlet Knights for the first time since the pandemic started, but everyone's safety is our paramount concern. One thing I do know, however, is that New Jersey folks are resilient. I'm sure they will pack SHI Stadium on Saturday and we'll put our Jersey grit on full display.'ť

Rutgers went 3-6 last season in Greg Schiano first season back as coach of the Scarlet Knights. Temple was 1-6 in Rod Carey's second season.

'œI said all summer that we went through a lot last year and that has prepared us for anything,'ť Carey said in a statement. 'œMy thoughts are with those families who have lost their homes due to this storm. Delaying our football game for 48 hours is not as devastating as their situations.'ť

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Louis Dearani, Jr. helps to clean up after his family business, United Automatic Fire Sprinkler, was flooded from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area, in Woodland Park, N.J., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) The Associated Press

Vehicles are under water during flooding in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The Associated Press

The level of water reached is seen inside an apartment after flooding as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ida at Oakwood Plaza Apartments complex in Elizabeth, NJ., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) The Associated Press

A car flooded on a local street as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ida is seen in Somerville, N.J. Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) The Associated Press

People try to reach the other side of 206 route partially flooded as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ida in Somerville, NJ., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.