-
Turron DavenportESPN
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Due to power outages and rolling blackouts caused by extreme cold in the area, the Tennessee Titans have postponed Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans by one hour to 2:02 p.m. ET, it was announced.
“Due to the extreme weather and power outages affecting our region, kickoff for today’s game has been postponed one hour to 1 p.m. CT,” the Titans said in a statement. “This decision was made in partnership with the NFL, Office of Emergency Management, Nashville Electric Service and the Mayor’s Office in an abundance of caution to ensure that the game would not negatively impact our community in any way. We are exploring every possibility to minimize non-essential power around the stadium. Gates are currently open and fans are welcome to enter.
“At all times, the operation of the game remained secondary to the well-being of our community and we can’t thank the OEM and NES enough for their dedication to the safety of our neighbors.”
Earlier Saturday, the Titans were asked by Nashville mayor John Cooper to postpone the game because the Tennessee Valley Authority is conducting rolling blackouts due to unprecedented cold temperatures resulting in high power demand.
“I’ve been informed that TVA’s unilateral rolling blackouts will continue,” Cooper posted on Twitter. “All non-essential businesses should reduce power usage. I’ve asked the Titans to postpone their 12pm game in solidarity with our neighbors.”
After the decision to delay the game, Cooper quickly thanked the Titans for cooperating.
Photos of the lights being on all Friday night at Nissan Stadium spread on social media from critics dealing with power outages. The lights stayed on with crews working throughout the night repairing burst water pipes around the stadium.
A couple of luxury suites remained closed Saturday because of water damage.
The Titans had a tarp over the field with hot air blowing under it four hours before kickoff to keep the field from freezing. The hot air was fueled by gas, not electricity.
The expected temperature at kickoff is 18 degrees, making it the coldest game ever at Nissan Stadium. The previous coldest game the Titans have played at Nissan Stadium occurred on Dec. 31, 2017, when the temperature was 23 degrees at kickoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In franchise history, the Titans/Oilers have never hosted a game in which the temperature was below 23 degrees.
The Titans (7-7) already face a quick turnaround from this game with the Texans (1-12-1). The Dallas Cowboys are scheduled to visit Thursday night.
The Nashville Electric Service shared that TVA shifted from a 10% mandatory power conservation to 5%, meaning a 10-minute outage every 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
The NHL’s Nashville Predators hosted a 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. The NHL team’s president noted on social media Friday night that the Predators powered their arena by generators.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
