BOULDER (AP) – The football game between Fresno State and Colorado in Boulder was postponed on Friday because of flooding that’s devastating the state.
The teams were scheduled to play Saturday at Folsom Field. No makeup date has been announced.
“Even though the weather is improving, Boulder is still designated as a national emergency site,” Chancellor Philip DiStefano said in a statement. “Our community is hurting. … This is not an appropriate time for us to hold a game that would put pressure on the community, both in terms of security/emergency personnel, but also in diverting attention from people in need.”
The area has been hit hard in recent days by torrential showers, leading to flooding in northern Colorado, especially mountain communities around Boulder. The university has also closed campus at least through Saturday.
Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre said the team has moved several players into hotels after they had to leave their homes because of flooding.
“There are a lot issues out there that are a lot bigger than football,” MacIntyre said. “This is the appropriate decision and we are all 100 percent in agreement.
“They will be ready to play whenever we get back on that field again. I promise you, we’ll be ready to go.”
Athletic director Rick George said in a conference call Friday that he will begin discussing the options of rescheduling the game with Fresno State in the next few days. The contest could be made up at the end of the season or possibly even cancelled altogether if no dates work out.
“All of the options on the table at this point,” George said.
Fresno State (2-0) opens Mountain West Conference play next week against Boise State, while the Buffs (2-0) have a week off before beginning their Pac-12 schedule at Oregon State on Sept. 28.
“While we’re disappointed we’re not going to get the opportunity to play against the University of Colorado, we understand the tragic situation there and we send our thoughts and prayers out to the people of Colorado and wish them the best in their recovery efforts,” said Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter, whose team entered the week on the verge of being ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.
Up the road in Fort Collins, the game between Colorado State and Cal Poly will still be played Saturday.
“We were very concerned about pulling resources away from areas in need, but we determined that we have the staff available primarily through our campus law enforcement to manage the event,” CSU athletic director Jack Graham said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as necessary.
“We would not proceed if we did not have assurances that going forward would not cause stress on community resources or jeopardize people’s safety.”
The Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer will still hold their match against FC Dallas on Saturday, saying in a statement “the stadium and surrounding parking lots have not suffered any damage. As always, we will continue to monitor the situation to make sure that our event is safe for fans, staff and players.”
