NFL teams lead sports world in Houston aid after Hurricane Harvey

While southeast Texas suffers, the sports world is mobilizing to help.

Hurricane Harvey's biblical rains and life-threatening floods have sparked an outpouring of love and support from teams and athletes. Notably, the hometown Houston Texans, displaced by the storm, have pledged $1 million to help those affected by the storm.

"These dollars will be put to go use in the relief and recovery efforts," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said Monday. "We also hope our actions will encourage others to do whatever they can to help their neighbors in need right now."

The Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and the NFL Foundation all followed suit. They each pledged $1 million to the United Way of Greater Houston's Flood Relief Fund.

The NFL has also been directing fans where to donate to the Red Cross.

Owner Robert Kraft and the Patriots will match all Red Cross donations in support of the Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund up to $1 million.

"Houston is a special city to our family and our organization," Kraft said in a statement. "The New England Patriots and our fans have celebrated two of our franchise's greatest and most memorable moments in Houston. The city was a tremendous host for Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 and once again this past February for Super Bowl LI. Houston could not have provided more support to us during those visits, and we welcome the opportunity to provide this support when Houston needs it most.

"When natural disasters have impacted our country, they have always unified communities and rallied support throughout the nation. We have already heard stories of heroic rescues and strangers helping strangers in this time of need. These stories have inspired us, as we always encourage bringing communities together, building bridges and helping others. We are eager to join in these efforts and provide our support."

See how more athletes are reacting to the devastastion:

Texans star J.J. Watt announced he was organizing a fundraiser for victims Sunday. Watt posted a video on Twitter and helped to raise more than $140,000 in the first hour it was live. The initial $200,000 goal was raised to $500,000 and then raised again to $1 million within 24 hours.

"It's very difficult not only because we have family and friends back there. Some guys have young kids. Some guys have wives and families. That's our city," Watt said.

The Cowboys will organize a telethon to raise money for Harvey victims. Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones Anderson made the announcement.

"This truly is a day for Texans helping Texans," she said.

The storm system, which was downgraded to a tropical storm over the weekend, has also wreaked havoc on college and pro sports events scheduled to take place in Texas.

The Houston Astros, whom the Mets are scheduled to play this weekend, reportedly may move to a neutral site for games this week. The Astros are supposed to play a series against the Texas Rangers beginning Tuesday. The Mets series is scheduled to start in Texas on Friday.

According to the Washington Post, the Astros and Rangers could either switch locations for their remaining two series this season and play this week in Arlington, weather permitting. Or they might wind up playing the games at a neutral site outside of Houston.

"We continue to talk through potential plans and we expect to have an update at some point today," MLB spokesman Michael Teevan told the Washington Post. "We join the clubs in focusing on the well-being of their fans, communities, players, employees and families."

The Texans were in New Orleans over the weekend for a preseason game against the Saints and they are currently staying and practicing in Dallas until the storm passes. They are scheduled to play the Cowboys Thursday night in Houston, which will likely not happen as scheduled. The Cowboys have offered to host the game instead.

"The team will return to Houston as soon as it is safe to travel back," the Texans said in a statement. "There have been no decisions made on the duration of our stay in Dallas or on details regarding our preseason game against the Cowboys on Thursday."

Week 1 of the college football season will also be impacted by the storm. The Rice football team was traveling back from Australia Monday and the school said it would fly into Los Angeles, as planned, and make a decision on where it will go from there.

According to a report, the Owls were invited to temporarily set up operations at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, the UTEP, and Baylor University in Fort Worth.

"Upon our arrival in Los Angeles, we will receive an update on the situation in Houston and evaluate our travel options back to Houston. We will post additional information once we have arrived in Los Angeles," Chuck Pool Jr., Rice's assistant AD, said in a statement. "Our thoughts remain focused on family, friends, neighbors and fellow Houstonians who are impacted by the historic flooding that has inundated the Gulf Coast region."

Rice does not play until Sept. 9, but the University of Houston's football team relocated to Austin last week before the storm hit. They are supposed to open their season Saturday at Texas-San Antonio.

The LSU-BYU game set to take place Saturday at NRG Stadium likely will not be played there, according to reports. LSU AD Joe Alleva said it is "almost certain" the game will not be played in Houston and reports indicate the game could be moved to the Superdome in New Orleans, where many residents were evacuated during Hurricane Katrina in 2006. ESPN, which is broadcasting the game, will ultimately make the decision on where it will be played.