Deion Sanders helped move the Jackson State football team out of town amid the city's clean water crisis
William H. Kelly/University Communications/Jackson State University via Getty Images
- Deion Sanders said the Jackson State football team would move to a hotel amid the city's water crisis.
- Much of Jackson, Mississippi, is without clean water and water pressure amid a failing water system.
- Sanders later posted a video from an undisclosed hotel and thanked people for their support.
Jackson State football head coach Deion Sanders said on Tuesday that his team is in "crisis mode" over the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi.
Parts of Jackson, the largest city in Mississippi, are without clean water and have little-to-no water pressure because of a failing and aging water system, which has been exacerbated by recent floods.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, saying the city doesn't have "reliable running water at scale."
"It means the city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to reliably flush toilets, and to meet other critical needs," Reeves said, urging residents not to drink the water, as it is likely untreated.
In an Instagram video, Sanders said the football team would be moving off-campus to better address basic needs.
"We've been hit with a little crisis in the city of Jackson," Sanders said in the video. "We don't have water. Water means we don't have air conditioning. We can't use toilets. We don't have water, therefore we don't have ice, which pretty much places a burden on the program. So right now we're operating in crisis mode."
Sanders said they'd be moving the members of the team off campus and out of their off-campus housing to a hotel so they could access showers and be fed.
On Wednesday, Sanders posted another video to Instagram, saying the team had moved to a hotel, though he didn't say where.
Jackson State did not immediately respond to Insider's email about where the team relocated and for how long.
Sanders said the team had "re-calibrated" after the issues caused by the water crisis.
Sanders also posted a video to Twitter thanking all of the people who reached out to support him and the team.
Reeves had said it was unclear when the city's water facilities would be back up and running.
The JSU Tigers are scheduled to tip off their season on Sunday against Florida A&M in Miami.