The NCAA granted a waiver to schools which wanted to play for a cause, and the Mississippi State University men’s basketball team’s cause is helping the victims of Hurricane Irma. They will take advantage of the NCAA waiver by hosting Nebraska in a charity exhibition game on Sunday.
“This is a great opportunity to help so many people in need who were affected by the hurricane,” MSU head coach Ben Howland said in a press release. “Hurricane Irma was devastating, and our hearts and prayers have been with everyone as they have dealt with horrific and tragic loss. This is a chance for us to do our part in helping those in need.”
Usually, teams are only allowed one exhibition before the start of their regular season. However, with the devastation Irma caused across Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean, the NCAA made an exception for a school to try and do their part to help.
The first look fans were going to get at Howland’s team in year three was scheduled for Nov. 2, when MSU is set to take on the University of West Florida in an exhibition.
Now, fans will get two practice games before the team opens their season against Alabama State University on Nov. 10.
Howland said this game came about because Howland has a friend in the Nebraska athletics department, whom he met while coaching at the University of Pittsburg. He called this friend last Sunday, who got Howland in contact with Nebraska head coach Tim Miles.
“For all of this to come together so quickly is miraculous,” Howland said in a press conference on Thursday.
Howland said Nebraska is getting no financial help to play this game. He said it was exceptionally nice of them to pay for their own charter jet to help the cause.
“Hurricane Irma was a devastating storm which affected many people in the Southeast and in the Caribbean,” Miles said in a press release. “Our goal is that we can raise a lot of money for those who need it.”
Admission to the game will be free, so it is a donation-driven fundraiser. Two charities will be at the game to collect donations. The Salvation Army and the MSU Student Relief fund will both be set up at the gates of the Hump.
“We are raising money for a very important cause,” Howland said. “I mean people were devastated by this hurricane. Everyone gets in for free so we are asking everyone to give and make a significant donation. This game is to help other people.”
The game is also a unique opportunity for MSU to grow as a basketball team. Most exhibitions are against lower-tier schools, but Howland is excited to play a “high major” team he said is “in mid-season form offensively.”
“This will be a great experience for our young team to play against a team that is already on all cylinders,” Howland said.
Tip off is set for 1 p.m. and the gates will open at noon.