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Saints' season opener vs. Packers moved to Jacksonville due to Hurricane Ida recovery

The New Orleans Saints' season opener against the Green Bay Packers has been moved from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to Jacksonville due to the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Ida, the NFL announced Wednesday.

The game will be played at TIAA Bank Field, which is normally the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the Jags playing their Week 1 game on the road against the Houston Texans, the stadium was free.

TIAA Bank Field was also the closest available stadium. Numerous other options in the Southeast will be occupied during Week 1. Houston's NRG Stadium is hosting the Jaguars, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, is hosting the Philadelphia Eagles. Both the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers are also hosting home games on Week 1.

Two other stadiums weren't being used on game day, but were unavailable for other reasons. The Dallas Cowboys are also out of town in Week 1, but according to Nola.com the stadium needs to be set up that day for a concert later in the week. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' stadium isn't being used on the Sunday of Week 1 because the Cowboys are coming to town for "Thursday Night Football" a few days earlier.

Due to Hurricane Ida, the Saints will play their first home game of the 2021 season at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, the home of the Jaguars. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Due to Hurricane Ida, the Saints will play their first home game of the 2021 season at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, the home of the Jaguars. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) (James Gilbert via Getty Images)

While the location of the game is being moved, the day and time are staying the same. They'll still play on Sept. 12 at 4:25 p.m. ET, and the game will still be broadcast on Fox.

The Saints won't play in New Orleans for the rest of the month, but that gets much easier after Week 1 since their Weeks 2 and 3 games are on the road.

The entire team was evacuated to Texas before the storm hit, and it practiced at AT&T Stadium on Monday and Tuesday. The Saints announced that they'll practice at TCU ahead of their Week 1 contest.