Due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey to Houston and the surrounding areas, the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff between BYU and LSU, originally scheduled to be played in NRG Stadium in Houston, has been relocated to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La. The game will still be played on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 9:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. CT and televised on ESPN.
“First and foremost, we are keeping the citizens of the Houston region, and the thousands of first responders, in our thoughts during this very difficult time,” said Pete Derzis, ESPN senior vice president of college sports programming and events. “Over the last 72 hours, we have been in constant contact with all entities involved, including our partners at the Lone Star Sports & Entertainment, the SEC and both institutions. Ultimately, the decision was made to move forward with the relocation.
“During the last few days, we were overwhelmed with the outreach by the communities offering to host this event, specifically, Dallas, Jacksonville, Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando and San Antonio. We have great partners within those cities through the Football Bowl Association and we appreciate their energy in finding a solution.
“Efforts are underway in New Orleans and we will work with the fans, the Superdome, the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau and both schools throughout the week to ensure the most optimal game day experience for all.”
Ticket information, updates and additional detail will be forthcoming and made available at http://www.advocaretexaskickoff.com/.