Both the Buccaneers and the USF Bulls have been cleared to play this weekend
Hurricane Irma has gone and the cleanup in the Tampa Bay area has begun. So, it looks like the University of South Florida and the Buccaneers will play their games this weekend at Raymond James Stadium.
The Bulls are 2-0, ranked 21st in the Coaches Poll and 22nd in the Associated Press writers and broadcasters poll. Come Friday night South Florida, will a nationally televised game against Big Ten foe Illinois.
The game can be heard on WWBA 820 AM the Flagship home of the South Florida Bulls.
Former Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith brings his Fighting Illini to Tampa to see a Bulls team that will welcome new coach Charlie Strong for his home opener.
Also cleared to play will be the Buccaneers as planned at 1 p.m. against the Chicago Bears at Raymond James Stadium.
NFL and the Tampa Sports Authority, held a very long conference call before they made their decision to play. It came only after the Buccaneers and the city of Tampa, assessed the impact of Hurricane Irma on the area before making a final decision on the venue for the game.
“We have been working tirelessly with the Tampa Sports Authority, as well as the NFL league office, to ensure that Raymond James Stadium would be available to host our season opener against the Chicago Bears this Sunday,” said Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford. “Hosting the game is important to us, as Tampa Bay has been through a lot over the past few days. We look forward to providing our fans and the entire region an opportunity to come together this Sunday to kick off our 2017 season.”
Sunday will mark the third straight year that Chicago will make a trip to Tampa. The Buccaneers beat up on Chicago last season, 36-10, in Week 10. The Bears were victorious in 2015, earning a 26-21 victory in Week 16.
