Hurricane Isaias is going to have a direct impact on the college football game between Georgia and Alabama. However, per the most recent forecasts, the worst of the weather will be out of Tuscaloosa in time for kickoff.
The game is going to be played as scheduled!
Before we go any further here, it should be noted that this entire plan is subject to change. The college football game could still be pushed back or postponed if Isaias does not cooperate but, as of this writing, things are looking like a go.
Hurricane Isaias is still getting stronger!
Tropical storm Isaias strengthened into the first Atlantic hurricane of the season overnight. It continues to surge toward the Gulf Coast with landfall expected on Friday night. Forecasters warn of “dangerous, life-threatening” conditions as it grows. There is the potential that it could become a major Category 3 hurricane, with winds of 111 mph or greater by the time it reaches shore.
Although the potential danger of this storm has been established, there is some discrepancy on exactly when and — perhaps more importantly — where the hurricane is going to hit.
Every forecast model predicts the storm will take a big turn toward the north as it gets closer to land. The models differ in how sharp that turn will be and how quickly it might happen. That will have a huge impact on the college football games played on Saturday across the southeast. Especially the top-10 showdown in Tuscaloosa.
The hurricane now looks like it is going to veer more to the east. The eye of the storm is expected to hit somewhere between Mobile, Alabama and Panama City, Florida and its pace continues to increase.
The latest run of our futurecast model is in and two things stand out. It's quicker making landfall around 9-10 pm Friday night and wind shear on this run is trying to keep this storm in check…something to watch for in future runs! I'm en route to #Pensacola! #weshwx pic.twitter.com/08cxCE6bxt
— Tony Mainolfi (@TMainolfiWESH) October 8, 2026
If those projections end up proving true, the eye of the hurricane will fly past Tuscaloosa on Saturday morning. The most heavy wind and rain will be out of the area by mid-to-late afternoon, if not even earlier.
As things currently stand (weather is ever-changing), the temperature will hover around 70º with 15 mph wins (gusts up to 32 mph) with an 84% chance of (lighter) rain at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night. That is much better than the initial forecast!
Alabama will play its college football game against Georgia as scheduled.
With all of that information in mind, administrators at the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia continue to monitor the situation alongside the SEC and the National Weather Service. They feel comfortable enough to play as planned.
Alabama released the following update on Thursday afternoon:
“The University of Alabama is closely monitoring weather conditions ahead of Saturday’s football game. At this time, the game remains scheduled as planned. However, due to the forecast for severe weather and high winds prior to kickoff, several early game-day activities and tailgating operations are being modified. Fans and visitors should stay alert of weather developments to make responsible decisions on travel and shelter during severe weather.”
College Gameday will be moved inside on Saturday morning. Overnight queuing is not permitted.
Other pregame festivities will also be moved indoors, pushed back or canceled. That includes tailgating.
To help protect the safety of fans and prevent damage from expected severe weather conditions, tailgating will not be permitted on campus prior to noon Saturday, and only uncovered tailgating will be permitted after noon.
The University reserves the right to alter this schedule if conditions warrant further operational delays.
*No outdoor activities permitted on campus before noon – unless weather impacts delay operations further.
*No tailgate dropoffs or setups will be permitted Friday anywhere on campus. Any tailgating supplies placed before noon Saturday will be removed and discarded.
*Corporate tailgating vendors, including Gameday Done Right, will not set up on the Quad due to the forecast for severe weather and high winds during the overnight hours on Friday.
*Fans may access the Quad and other campus gathering areas after noon Saturday, though timing may be affected until those locations have been inspected and deemed safe.
*There will be no tailgate supply drop-off for the Quad Saturday.
*Weather permitting, personal tailgating will be permitted after noon.
*Electrical and power services will not be restored to the Quad until the University deems it safe.
— University of Alabama
All activities on and around the Quad are canceled. Same with the Elephant Stomp and anything that was scheduled to take place on Champions Lane.
As for parking, campus lots and shuttle services won’t open or begin until noon. Anyone who tries to park on campus prior to that time will be turned away.
This plan is obviously subject to change based on the storm. If Hurricane Isaias decides to hang around Tuscaloosa longer than expected, changes can and will be made to the game day schedule.
However, as of this writing, the plan is for the Walk of Champions to take place approximately 2.5 hours before kickoff with the game set for its original start time of 6:30 p.m. CT. That is big news given the chatter on social media less than 48 hours ago!