Winter Storm Disrupts NBA, NHL, and College Basketball Schedules
A powerful winter storm is set to sweep across a large portion of the country this weekend, causing significant disruptions to sports schedules. The NBA and college basketball have had to make last-minute adjustments to their plans, while the NHL has also been affected.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks' game against the Los Angeles Lakers, scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET, will proceed as planned. However, other games have been rescheduled due to the storm's impact.
The NBA announced that the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets' game in North Carolina, originally set for 6 p.m. ET, will now start at 12 p.m. ET. The Nashville Predators also moved their game against Utah, originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET, up by two hours to 11:30 a.m. ET.
The ACC made similar adjustments, bringing forward the start times for three games, including a highly anticipated match between Duke and Wake Forest. Other notable changes include St. John's and Xavier's men's basketball game, now set for 1:30 p.m. ET, and the women's game between No. 1 Connecticut and Seton Hall, which will tip off at 12 p.m. ET.
The storm's impact extends beyond the basketball courts. The Houston-Baylor women's basketball game, originally scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed to Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. The Sun Belt conference preemptively rescheduled games from Thursday to Saturday, while the American conference moved some games up to Friday.
Rice basketball will host back-to-back games at Tudor Fieldhouse on Saturday, with the women's match against Tulane at 1 p.m. ET and the men's game against Tulsa at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Richmond-George Mason women's game has been moved to 11 a.m. ET, with fans unfortunately not allowed to attend.
Weather.com reports that the storm, dubbed 'Fern', is expected to be 'historic', impacting at least 34 states and over 230 million people. The storm will begin in the southern U.S., moving east with significant snow and ice accumulations. Eleven states between Texas and Virginia are predicted to be the most affected, with potential power outages due to the combination of ice and high winds.
