This Hurricane Might Affect Game

UCLA officials were contemplating various travel options Tuesday, hoping to avoid Hurricane Georges, on a path to hit South Florida at the end of the week. Discussions with the University of Miami about the status of Saturday’s game at the Orange Bowl continued.

No decision had been made about the game, which will be the Bruins’ first in Florida since 1941, because conditions may change. But UCLA hopes to at least settle on the first leg of its travel itinerary today, though contingencies probably will remain in place.

The plan is to leave Los Angeles late in the morning Thursday for an early-evening arrival. That would give the Bruins a full day in the Eastern time zone before the game.

If a change is made, Atlanta is the likely destination Thursday. The Bruins would either practice there Friday, then continue to Miami in the afternoon or evening, or simply wait there until the storm passes and still practice at the Orange Bowl on Friday.

Whether the game is played will depend on more than the timing of Georges. Even if the hurricane makes land Thursday night or Friday morning and UCLA is out of harm’s way, damage to South Florida could still be severe enough that officials could not make police and medical personnel available for a football game.