Saturday’s college football game between the Gophers and Oregon State is scheduled to kickoff at 9 p.m. Central Time, but a growing concern about air quality could change plans.
Wildfires raging out west have officials at Oregon State and the University of Oregon concerned about air quality for Saturday’s games. Oregon State hosts the Gophers and Oregon is at home against Nebraska.
Per The Oregonian, the teams are closely monitoring conditions and are ready to postpone the games or move the kickoff times if needed.
“Oregon and Oregon State have been working closely with the relevant regional air protection agency, the Pac-12, and their own medical personnel to monitor and assess the air quality situation since the fires broke out,” Andrew Walker, the Pac-12’s vice president of public affairs, wrote in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Based upon the information provided by the air protection agency and the expert health and safety advice of the respective University medical professionals, a decision will be made on whether or not to adjust game times and/or dates with the safety of student-athletes and fans as a priority.”
Walker added that “any decision will be based on the air quality readings before the game and the expert advice of medical professionals.”
According to the National Weather Service, almost the entire western half of Oregon is experience unhealthy air quality conditions because of wildfires burning in the region. The orange dots represent areas where the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and the red dots represent locations where the air is unhealthy for everyone.
Oregon State plays its games in Corvallis, Oregon, which is just south of Eugene. The city is currently under an Air Quality Alert, which says the area will experience unhealthy air quality conditions at times through Friday morning.
The good news is that they’re expecting “some improvement” as the week goes on.
We’ll keep an eye on this one as game day gets closer.
