Governor updates progress of USC-Georgia game deliberations

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley expects USC officials to make a decision Thursday afternoon about when to play their home football game against Georgia, Haley said during a Thursday morning news conference.

“That is a complete school decision in terms of that,” Haley said. “That’s not anything I need to make.”

Haley communicated with Gamecocks athletics director Ray Tanner on Thursday morning, she said, and reiterated the state will not allow any highway patrolmen to work the game because those resources will be needed helping state residents evacuating the coast.

“The 100 to 200 troopers that they usually request or need would not be available to them,” Haley said. “They know what they are required to have. They are very conscious of safety and very conscious of making sure things move forward only if they can handle it. Right now they are looking to see if they can do it with the assets they have in place.”

The Gamecocks are scheduled to play the Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Williams-Brice Stadium, but the impact of Hurricane Matthew could make that unfeasible. South Carolina said in a statement released Wednesday night that the game will be played in Columbia, but school officials have said a change of time or day is possible.

This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Governor updates progress of USC-Georgia game deliberations."