HOUSTON - Hurricane Gustav could force a change in the NFL’s plans to have the Bucs open the 2008 season in New Orleans.

NFL officials said today that it’s still way too early to suggest a change in plans will be adopted but admitted they are monitoring the situation. Saints officials said, meanwhile, that alternatives for both playing the game and practicing have been discussed internally.

One possible solution should Gustav force a change is to have the Bucs host the season opener on Sept. 7 and play the Nov. 30 game against the Saints in New Orleans. Another possibility is to move the game to San Antonio or Baton Rouge. The Bucs played the Saints in Baton Rouge in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans.

The Saints are believed to be looking into alternative sites for practice and may be considering the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, a facility in Indianapolis and maybe even Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports complex.

Gustav is still churning south of Cuba but forecasts suggest it could threaten New Orleans by Tuesday. That could force an evacuation that would put the game in jeopardy.