Tenn. Tech game moved over threatening graffiti

Tennessee Tech coach Watson Brown said his football team is “rolling with the punches” and will play Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night at Georgetown College.

The game was moved Wednesday after all classes were canceled through Friday at Eastern Kentucky in part because of threatening graffiti written on a bathroom wall on campus.

"While there is no evidence of an imminent danger, there has been an escalation in the threat, originating from social media," the Eastern Kentucky Department of Public Safety said in a prepared statement.

Tennessee Tech’s football team first heard about the graffiti Tuesday afternoon.

“I was concerned when I was told (Tuesday) afternoon; I didn’t want to be the one taking my kids there into the middle of something like that,” Brown said. “I told (athletics director) Mark (Wilson) ‘I don’t want to put mine on the bus until I know everything is safe.’ It would be hard to live with if one of them got hurt because we put them right in the middle of it.”

EKU President Michael Benson said the decision to close the school was made in order to allow law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation of the continuing threat and ensure the safety of the campus community.

EKU officials called Brown on Wednesday morning and said the game would not be played at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond.

One of the options was to move the game to Tennessee Tech.

Ultimately, EKU officials decided to play the game at the NAIA school, which is located about 40 miles from Richmond.

The game will be played at Toyota Stadium, which used to be used as the Cincinnati Bengals summer training camp.

Tennessee Tech traveled to Lexington, Ky., on Wednesday to spend the night.

The Golden Eagles will leave midday Thursday for Georgetown for the game, which will kick off at 7 p.m.

“It wasn’t our choice, so we’re just rolling with the punches,” Brown said.

EKU (2-2, 1-0 OVC) is coming off Saturday's 34-27 overtime loss to Kentucky.

Tennessee Tech (2-3, 1-1) lost at home Saturday to UT Martin 31-17.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.