Irma forcing numerous sports cancellations in Florida

Several sporting events have been canceled and rescheduled in South Florida as the area braces for the impact of Hurricane Irma, the Category 4 storm expected to make landfall in the state this weekend, Sports Illustrated reported.  

The NFL rescheduled the season opener between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins from Sunday to week 11 of the regular season.

MLB’s Miami Marlins are avoiding the hurricane with a seven-game trip out of the state and will return for a series with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 15. The Tampa Bay Rays are traveling to Boston for a series before returning for a series with the New York Yankees on Monday.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that the Monday series “might be in jeopardy” with the impending storm. 

{mosads}Irma is one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic and is expected to bring heavy rains and possible 12-foot storm surges in some parts of Florida. 

Several college sporting events have also been disrupted due to the hurricane, including the cancellation of a football game scheduled for Saturday between the University of South Florida and the University of Connecticut. The University of Miami canceled its visit to Arkansas State so that their student-athletes could evacuate the area. 

Florida State University is also canceling a Saturday game against Louisiana-Monroe.

Florida is bracing for one of the largest storms to strike its shores in years as Hurricane Irma barrels through the Caribbean and toward the U.S. mainland. The storm is expected to make landfall in Florida on Saturday.