The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are taking precautionary measures ahead of Hurricane Milton by planning to relocate to the New Orleans area to prepare for their upcoming game against the Saints this Sunday. With Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall along Florida’s west coast this week, the Buccaneers have decided to travel on Tuesday and spend the rest of the week practicing out of state, deviating from their usual routine at the team’s training facility in Tampa.
Hurricane Milton strengthened into a Category 4 storm over the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, and the potential landfall in the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday has raised concerns. In response to the impending weather conditions, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning had to cancel their Monday night’s preseason game against the Nashville Predators, which was initially rescheduled from a previous date due to Hurricane Helene’s impact causing extensive damage in the region two weeks prior.
The Lightning’s regular season opener against Carolina on Friday remains on the schedule, but there is uncertainty surrounding the team’s plans amidst the looming storm. As Hurricane Milton is projected to hit Central Florida, including areas such as Orlando, various sports events are already being affected. The NBA’s Orlando Magic is currently on the road, playing games in New Orleans and San Antonio this week.
Moreover, college sports are not immune to the disruptions, as UCF in Orlando has announced the cancellation of all home athletics events on Wednesday and Thursday. This decision affects multiple matches and tournaments, including a volleyball match against Colorado, a women’s soccer match against Arizona, and the first day of the men’s tennis ITA Southeast Regionals.
Despite the challenges brought by Hurricane Milton, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with other sports teams and organisations in Florida, are taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of their players and staff while making necessary adjustments to their schedules in preparation for the upcoming severe weather conditions.