Hurricane Milton damages the roof of Tropicana Field, prompting the NBA to cancel Friday’s preseason game in Orlando between the Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans, according to league officials.
The game will not be rescheduled.
The Orlando Magic had just played against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night and were set to return to central Florida the following day. However, their plans have changed due to the storm, which made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, on Wednesday evening. The hurricane is moving across the state with wind gusts surpassing 100 mph and heavy rainfall predicted for several areas.
“There are always matters that transcend the game of basketball, and we must keep that in mind,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley stated. “Families and homes are facing difficult circumstances right now, and we need to be aware and considerate of that.”
In St. Petersburg, the roof of Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, has suffered significant damage. Images broadcasted on television Wednesday night revealed that the fabric covering the stadium’s roof was torn apart. It remains unclear if any damage occurred inside the venue.
Although the Rays’ stadium is not being used as a shelter, the Tampa Bay Times reported that it has been designated as “a staging site for workers” responding to the storm’s aftermath.
Opening in 1990 at a cost of $138 million, Tropicana Field is set to be replaced by a new $1.3 billion ballpark scheduled for completion by the 2026 season.
The cancellation of the Magic-Pelicans game marks the second preseason NBA matchup affected by Hurricane Milton. A game originally planned for Thursday in Miami between the Heat and Atlanta Hawks has been postponed until October 16 due to storm concerns. Additionally, a rescheduled NHL preseason game in Tampa between the Lightning and Predators was also called off.
“Stay safe, Florida!” former Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos, now with Nashville, shared on social media Wednesday. “Thinking of all the incredible people in the Tampa area right now.”
Numerous college and high school events throughout Florida have also faced cancellations or postponements due to the storm.
For the time being, two planned exhibitions featuring Simone Biles and other Olympic gymnasts — part of the “Gold Over America Tour,” which cleverly spells out GOAT, a nod to Biles’ status as the consensus Greatest Of All-Time in gymnastics — are still scheduled. The tour is set to visit Sunrise, home of the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, on Friday, followed by a stop in Orlando on Saturday.
Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, located north of Miami, is expected to resume live racing on Friday. Furthermore, Saturday’s college football matchup featuring Cincinnati against UCF in Orlando is still on, while the Memphis-South Florida game in Tampa was rescheduled for Saturday.
Officials from UCF and USF have indicated that additional decisions will be made as necessary after assessing the storm damage.
