Michigan vs. Maryland Rescheduled Due to Hurricane Joaquin

In the first of what will likely be a number of scheduling changes due to Hurricane Joaquin, Saturday's matchup between Michigan and Maryland will begin at noon ET rather than its scheduled 8 p.m. ET kickoff.

"The weather experts are still dealing with uncertain probabilities for the course of Hurricane Joaquin," Jim Hackett, interim director of athletics, said in a statement. "Thus we remain vigilant on developments and will err on the side of safety for all participants and fans."

Hurricane Joaquin is considered a Category 3—the middle of a five-category scale—and is gaining strength as it prepares to reach the Eastern United States this weekend. Chris Dolce of Weather.com reported that flooding is expected in the East Coast regardless of the track Joaquin takes, with some areas already beginning to see the effects before the storm even hits.

The storm is expected to bring downpours and high winds that would make travel associated with sporting events unsafe. Moving Saturday's kickoff to noon will theoretically allow the players and fans to make their way to the stadium and travel before the worst of the storm hits Maryland.

“Our foremost priority is the safety and well-being of both teams, fans attending the game and staff,” Maryland Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson said in a statement. “Our collective decision in working with the University of Michigan and the Big Ten Conference was to kick off as early as possible because of the unpredictable nature of Hurricane Joaquin. In addition, those participating, working and attending the game would not have to travel in the evening in potentially dangerous conditions.”

Maryland-Michigan is the first major event in the area to announce a rescheduling, though more may be coming as the weekend approaches. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that Sunday's matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington may be pushed back to Week 8 if Joaquin touches down in the area.

Expected weather patterns in Dolce's report show some areas of Maryland could see upward of five inches of rain over the next week. 

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