Ida forces Saints to play in Jacksonville
Downtown buildings are lit by backup generators after Hurricane Ida knocked out power to the city, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in New Orleans, La. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
NEW ORLEANS, La. (NewsNation Now) — Citing infrastructure damage due to Hurricane Ida, the NFL announced via Twitter Wednesday that the Saints’ home opener against the Green Bay Packers would be played at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
While the Superdome itself didn’t sustain any damage in the storm, there are widespread power outages and other damage throughout the city.
The Jacksonville stadium was the closest available one with the required capacity and ability to host an NFL game that wasn’t in use at that time, as the Jacksonville Jaguars begin their season on the road playing the Houston Texans.
No comment was made about any future games were released. The Saints are scheduled to play an away game against the Carolina Panthers in week 2 of the season.
Further details about tickets and other matters will be released by the NFL soon, per the tweet.
