New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday that the Pittsburgh Steelers-Buffalo Bills AFC wild-card game will be moved to Monday at 4:30 p.m. ET due to severe weather in Western New York.
The game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Sunday. It will still air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
Hochul’s official social media account posted that she had been in contact with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ‘regarding the dangerous conditions in Buffalo this weekend.’ Western New York is in a state of emergency, the governor said.
The main concern is the storm is expected to begin around 6 p.m. ET Sunday, right around the time the game would end and all people would be leaving the stadium.
“The bullseye of this storm is scheduled to hit the Southtowns – probably Orchard Park – where at the time we’d have 60,000 people traveling,” Hochul said at a news conference.
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Beginning at 9 p.m. ET Saturday, a travel ban will be in effect ‘until further notice’ in Erie County, where the Bills play. AccuWeather forecasts predicted winds reaching nearly 50 miles per hour and potentially seven inches or more of snow.
The lake-effect snow, which can result in feet of it falling in a short period of time, has forced logistical issues for Bills games in the past. Last year, the Bills played a home game against the Cleveland Browns, at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, due to significant snowfall in the region.
The primary concern, according to officials, isn’t whether the game could be played. Travel for fans would be dangerous. And plows and law enforcement officials must be dedicated to storm response.
Buffalo mayor Byron Brown said if weather conditions worsen, officials could ask the NFL to postpone the game again.
“If we see any change in the weather pattern, we will take action and ask for that game to be rescheduled,” Brown said. “Now that’s not the plan.”
The last time a game was changed during the playoffs also involved Pittsburgh. The 2016 AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Steelers and Chiefs in Kansas City was moved from 1:05 p.m. ET to 8:20 p.m. ET because of an ice storm.
NHL adjusts game times in Buffalo and Pittsburgh
The NHL moved up the starts of two of the league’s Monday games so fans can watch the Steelers-Bills game.
The San Jose Sharks-Sabres game in Buffalo was moved from 1 p.m. ET to noon, and the Seattle Kraken-Penguins game in Pittsburgh was moved from 6 p.m. ET to 1 p.m.