How is Hurricane Helene impacting sports? Braves-Mets postponed, FSU travel plans and more

Hurricane Helene is set to make landfall just east of Tallahassee in northern Florida on Thursday night, bringing heavy winds and rain to Florida and other areas of the southeastern United States.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency in 61 counties ahead of the Category 2 hurricane’s arrival. Helene has registered 105 mph winds and continues to intensify, with the potential to increase to a Category 3 or 4 storm.

As a result of the severe weather, several teams have rescheduled games or changed their travel plans ahead of the weekend.

Here is a look at some of the contests that may be affected.

College football

Miami: The Hurricanes will host Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday. Miami has not announced any changes to the game’s date or time.

Florida State: The Seminoles left Tallahassee on Thursday for Saturday’s game at SMU in Dallas at 8 p.m. ET. The team moved up their travel plans by one day to avoid Helene’s impact on Tallahassee. The Marching Chiefs, FSU’s band, canceled its trip to Dallas due to the weather.

UCF–Colorado: The Buffaloes left Boulder on Wednesday to arrive in Orlando ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival. Colorado typically travels on Thursdays for long road trips but moved up their plans by a day. UCF hosts the Buffaloes at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Florida A&M: FAMU rescheduled Saturday’s home game against Alabama A&M for Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving.

Florida: The Gators are on a bye week.

Braves–Mets: Major League Baseball postponed the final two games of a critical series between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets at Truist Park on Wednesday, moving them to a doubleheader Monday. The league decided about two hours before the scheduled start of Wednesday’s game — the second of the three-game series — as heavy rains blanketed the Atlanta area. The division rivals are locked in a battle in the wild-card race and will likely have to wait until Monday to have their playoff fates determined, barring changes in the standings.

Inter Miami: Inter Miami will host Charlotte FC in Fort Lauderdale at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The clubs have not announced a change of plans for the game. Fort Lauderdale’s Broward County was not among the counties included in Florida’s state of emergency, but the area could still be affected by the weather over the weekend.

St. Louis City SC: St. Louis will host Kansas City FC at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. After Hurricane Helene makes landfall Thursday night, moisture from the storm is forecasted to move to the Mississippi River Valley. The St. Louis area is expected to be hit with rain starting around Friday morning and continuing through Saturday, which could cause the clubs to play in the rain. Major League Soccer allows for matches to be played in the rain but will delay games if there is a lightning strike within eight miles of a stadium.

Several NFL games will take place in the southeastern U.S. on Sunday before the Miami Dolphins host the Tennessee Titans on Monday. While no changes to games have been announced, inclement weather could potentially impact the host cities and the following games.

• New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET
• Cincinnati Bengals at Carolina Panthers, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET
• Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET
• Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins, Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET

(Top photo: Melina Myers / Imagn Images)