The Cougars will visit the University of Texas at Austin to practice this weekend due to Hurricane Harvey and the potential damage it will impose on Houston. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Football is taking no chances with fast-approaching Hurricane Harvey as the team prepares for an upcoming game against UTSA.
Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek decided to relocate the team’s practices to UT-Austin through at least Sunday to ensure the team’s safety.
“As it became apparent that Harvey was going to have a significant impact throughout the weekend and early into next week, we reached out to schools within the state of Texas that we have great relationships with, and inquired about the opportunity for our football program to practice and use their facilities as we are relocating outside of Houston,” Yurachek said to the Houston Chronicle.
After calling UT-Austin for help, the school quickly agreed to allow the team to practice at its facilities in downtown Austin, Yurachek said.
High winds and rain are battering coastal and inland communities, including Houston. Harvey made landfall at Rockport late Friday evening and is expected to bring life threatening storm surges, rainfall and strong winds to most of the state’s coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Some areas of Central Texas are expected to receive up to 30 inches of rain within the next five days.
The team is headed to Austin with plans to stay Saturday and Sunday but will monitor the situation closely before deciding when to return, football spokesperson David Bassity said in a news release.
Head Coach Major Applewhite said he is happy to practice at UT but is concerned for those staying in the city and surrounding areas during the storm.
“We are grateful to the University of Texas and its football program for opening their doors to us,” Applewhite said in a news release. “We are also thankful to the other programs from across the state of Texas that offered shelter to our program during this time. We are hopeful for the best in Houston but are preparing for every situation. We ask everyone to keep the city of Houston, all affected areas across the Gulf Coast and its residents in their thoughts and prayers.”
