GREENVILLE (October 13, 2016) – With floodwaters from Hurricane Matthew rising all around him Monday, East Carolina Athletics Director Jeff Compher needed help for his teams.

“We’ve become an island here,” Compher said.

Flooding of major roads in and out of Greenville forced university officials to cancel classes for the week.

But ECU’s soccer team had a home game scheduled for Wednesday against Southern Methodist.  The volleyball team had a game scheduled at Tulane Thursday night – could they even make it to the airport?

Compher didn’t have to look long for help.

He put in a call to NC State Athletics Director Debbie Yow, who quickly agreed that ECU’s teams could use NC State’s facilities to practice, and the soccer team could play its SMU game at NC State. Never mind that ECU beat State 33-30 in football just a month ago.

“It’s common sense,” Yow said. “If it were reversed, I’m sure they’d do the same thing for us.”

ECU’s players traveled to Raleigh on Monday and used NC State’s practice facilities and weight room. The soccer team played SMU Wednesday as scheduled, but lost, 1-0. NC State is also providing facilities for ECU’s tennis and cross country teams.

For Compher, it’s reminiscent of 1999, when NC State allowed ECU’s football team to play Miami at Carter-Finley Stadium after Hurricane Floyd ravaged eastern North Carolina.

“Their entire administrative team really stepped up to help us,” he said. “It was neighborly, but it really was professional and a sportsmanlike thing they did, which we really appreciate.

“I think that’s the value of having good relationships within the university system,” Compher said.