LSU’s football game against Appalachian State on Saturday at Tiger Stadium has been moved to 10 a.m. Central time, director of athletics Joe Alleva announced Friday.

The move was made in consultation with state officials in anticipation of an evacuation of New Orleans and an anticipated traffic contraflow order by the governor of Louisiana in preparation for the impact of Tropical Storm Gustav.

“Public safety was the overriding concern expressed by all parties when we met with the governor and his staff today,” Alleva said. “Ten a.m. is obviously not the optimal time for a football game, but when one of the options was to not play the game at all, this is a matter of making the best of an unfortunate situation.”

The gates of Tiger Stadium will open at 8 a.m.

The game will be televised live on the ESPN Classic network.

Statement from LSU coach Les Miles on time change for Saturday’s season-opener:

“We understand the reason for the change in the kickoff time and I can tell you that this team will be ready to play no matter what time the game starts. We are excited about playing our season opener in Tiger Stadium in front of the greatest fans in college football and we just hope that the time change doesn’t inconvenience our fans too much. See you in Tiger Stadium - Geaux Tigers.”

Times of Interest:

7 a.m. LSU Ticket Office opens

7:55 a.m. LSU walks down “Victory Hill”

8 a.m. All gates open at Tiger Stadium

8:15 a.m. Mike the Tiger comes down the hill

8:30 a.m. LSU band marches down the hill

10:01:30 a.m. LSU takes the field

10:02:15 a.m. Appalachian State takes the field

10:06 a.m. Kickoff: LSU vs. Appalachian State (ESPN Classic TV)