Marshall football’s contest at South Carolina, originally scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m., has been canceled due to Hurricane Florence’s forecasted impact.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick said. “The student-athletes’ welfare was our number one concern.”

Florence, which is currently a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to make landfall either late Thursday or early Friday in Wilmington, North Carolina, then head southwest. The eye of the storm is expected to hit Columbia at some point this weekend.

“Whether or not the game could have been played, we made the decision we think is best for the state and those who are evacuating the coast,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said. “There is no question this is the right thing to do and the decision was supported by (University of South Carolina) President (Harris) Pastides, Coach (Will) Muschamp, our board members and myself.”

The canceled game between the Thundering Herd and Gamecocks joins a long list of games that have been impacted by the hurricane. No. 14 West Virginia had its game at NC State canceled Tuesday afternoon, while Ohio’s game at Virginia has been moved to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville.

Marshall’s other sports have also been affected by the weather. The Herd’s cross country team will now compete at Indiana State Saturday morning instead of its originally scheduled meet at Winthrop, which was canceled. Marshall women’s golf also had its next tournament in Greenville, North Carolina, canceled. The men’s soccer game Sunday at South Carolina has also been called off.

“South Carolina AD Ray Tanner and I communicated all week in hopes that we could play, but in the end, not playing is the safest option for all concerned,” Hamrick said. “I appreciate the professionalism of Ray Tanner and the South Carolina athletic department during a difficult circumstance.”

Marshall (2-0) will look to keep its undefeated record intact on September 22 at 7 p.m. when it plays host to the NC State Wolfpack.

Kieran Intemann can be contacted at [email protected].