It became apparent, oh, about four days ago that the game between No. 13 LSU and BYU had no business being played in Houston as scheduled. As just about every team native to Houston has vacated or avoided the city, it made no practical or ethical sense to fly LSU and BYU, and their respective legions of fans, into a city that is still very much in the grip of Hurricane Harvey. Even if NRG Stadium was as pristine as the day it was built, Houston’s resources -- read: cops and paramedics -- needed to be devoted entirely to helping the city recover, not stage a football game.
So the question became where to move the game. New Orleans and Baton Rouge were first mentioned as possibilities. That list, somehow, grew to include Orlando, Jacksonville, Nashville, San Antonio and Dallas. But before Tokyo could presumably throw its hat in the ring, officials announced Tuesday that the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will host the Cougars and Tigers on Saturday.
“Efforts are underway in New Orleans and we will work with the fans, the Superdome, the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau and both schools throughout the week to ensure the most optimal game day experience for all,” ESPN senior vice president of college sports programming and events Pete Derzis said in a statement.
Though many of those other sites would have assuredly hosted the game just fine, New Orleans ensures that the game will be played in something of a college -- and decidedly LSU-like -- atmosphere. Fans who purchased their tickets for the Houston game will be refunded, and new tickets will be available for purchase.
All tickets/parking purchased via @LSUtix will be refunded starting Aug. 29. The process of buying new Superdome tix will be announced soon. https://t.co/O6XsolmMgC
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) August 28, 2017
The game will still be played and televised in its same time slot, 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.