It appears the New Orleans Saints have their practice plans set for the foreseeable future.
The team is has coordinated plans to use the facilities at TCU for practices and workouts while it is displaced by Hurricane Ida. The news was first reported by ESPN's Mike Triplett. The SMU facility and Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium will also serve as backup options.
The Saints will be establishing their next base of operations in the coming days, with a large chunk of that occurring at the Fort Worth-based university. The team officially announced those plans Wednesday afternoon, not long after it was announced their Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers would be played at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, with the Jaguars opening at the Houston Texans.
"We are cognizant of fact that TCU and their student-athletes and staff are hard at work in their preparations for their season and understand the stress and strains an NFL team will place on their facilities," Saints GM Mickey Loomis said in the team's statement. "They have our organization’s most sincere appreciation for their sacrifices.”
The two college programs had reached out to offer their facilities to the team, coach Sean Payton said this week, as the Saints establish more semi-permanent plans after spending the past few days in a Dallas hotel. The team evacuated to the area ahead of Hurricane Ida, which has left much of south Louisiana without power and significant storm damage.
New Orleans' power situation could get more clarity by Sunday evening, when Entergy says it expects to get some of the first power restoration to critical facilities such as hospitals. The restoration could help offer a clearer timeline of how long it will take for significant repairs to transmission lines that are necessary to restore power across the rest of the city.
Related
The Caesars Superdome's availability to host games is unknown but unlikely, and the Saints are planning for at least a month away. Initial indications were that the team might play at AT&T Stadium, though a scheduling conflict with a concert the following Wednesday could rule that out as an option.
Check back for updates.
Related
