Rutgers-Tulane Superdome game on despite Isaac

Hurricane Isaac made landfall Wednesday, dumping rain on the Super Dome and the rest of New Orleans.

REUTERS

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Rutgers-Tulane football game will be played Saturday night in the Superdome, only days after Isaac swept across the New Orleans area with hurricane-force winds.

The decision announced Thursday comes after the Superdome sustained only superficial damage to surrounding signs, banners and landscaping.

Superdome chief Doug Thornton said the stadium never lost power and its roof never leaked. He noted key Superdome personnel are returning to work Thursday to get the stadium ready to host college football.

Although the dome was in good shape Wednesday night, Tulane officials waited on a final decision to play until evaluating the condition of the community and confirming the airport would be ready for Rutgers' charter flight on Friday.

The Tulane football team left New Orleans for Birmingham, Ala., on Monday and practiced at Samford. The team planned to practice there again Thursday before returning to New Orleans.

The game will mark the end of an eventful first week for new Tulane head coach Curtis Johnson, who is used to such weather-related disruptions. Johnson grew up in the New Orleans area and spent the past six seasons as wide receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints.

He joined the Saints the season after Hurricane Katrina hit. He was with the team when they left their suburban New Orleans headquarters and practiced in Indianapolis during Week 1 of the 2008 season while Hurricane Gustav came ashore in south Louisiana.

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