As Idalia nears, Gators change itinerary for Utah

Aug 28, 2023, 05:50 PM ET GAINESVILLE, Fla.– Florida is altering its travel plans for the team’s season opener at No. 14 Utah on Thursday night, wishing to avoid Hurricane Idalia.A group spokesperson said Monday that the Gators will fly to Dallas on Tuesday, practice and spend the night there, and after that travel to Salt Lake City on Wednesday. Coach Billy Napier’s team had actually initially prepared to fly from Gainesville to Utah on Wednesday.

“If you’re going to go west, that makes one of the most sense,” Napier stated. “Hotel was a big logistical problem relative to where to go. … This could end up being a favorable. We break the flight up. We get the players and the staff into Dallas, get an excellent night’s rest, a little additional focus and then certainly get to spend some more time together. We see that being favorable.”

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Hurricane Idalia is anticipated to begin impacting Florida with hurricane-force winds as soon as late Tuesday and arrive on the state’s west coast by Wednesday. It is the very first storm to strike Florida this typhoon season and a possibly huge blow to the state, which is likewise handling lingering damage from last year’s Typhoon Ian.Idalia magnified Monday, and forecasters anticipated it would strike in days as a significant cyclone with potentially deadly storm surges.Idalia surged Cuba with heavy rain, especially on the westernmost part of the island, where the tobacco-producing province of Pinar del Rio is still recovering from Ian’s devastation. As much as 4 inches( 10 centimeters)of rain fell in Cuba on Sunday, meteorological stations reported.