Forfeit is a word rarely bandied about in today's high-dollar world of college football.

It was, however, a very real option for the Tennessee football team this weekend.

UT athletic director Mike Hamilton admitted Friday the Vols would have forfeited a game to LSU if SEC officials hadn't stepped in Thursday and postponed the game from Saturday night to Monday night.

"Yes, we were ready to do that," Hamilton said. "If we felt like it would be unfair to our student athletes or unsafe for our student athletes, we were prepared to forfeit the game."

Concerns with Hurricane Rita and possible weather issues with Tennessee flying into Baton Rouge, La., on Saturday morning ultimately led SEC commissioner Mike Slive to postpone the game to 7:30 p.m. Monday.

No. 10-ranked Tennessee will meet No. 3 LSU in one of the biggest SEC matchups of the season on ESPN2.

LSU officials wanted the game to go on as scheduled Saturday night, or at least Sunday night.

"Naturally our strong preference would have been to play during the weekend," LSU AD Skip Bertman said, "but safety for student-athletes, fans and everyone else involved in a football game was the overriding factor for the commissioner."

And the correct one according to Hamilton, UT president John Petersen and UT football coach Phillip Fulmer.

Hamilton had informed the SEC office as early as Tuesday of his concern with the approaching storm.

As the hurricane intensified and shifted slightly north in direction, concern of UT administrators likewise intensified.

Meetings and teleconferences were held most of the day Thursday involving UT officials, LSU officials and SEC representatives.

"From a Tennessee perspective ... the primary factor was would we put our own kids on a plane to go down into that situation?" Hamilton said. "Because in fact we're stewards of these student athletes.

"When we talk to their parents in the recruiting process I feel like we have a responsibility to act like a parent."

Hamilton said "at least a dozen" parents of UT players called his office to express concern.

Ultimately, Slive agreed with Tennessee's arguments.

"There's a line or a phrase in our commissioner's regulations that I read at the time to the commissioner," Hamilton said. "It basically said that if our student athletes are in any way put in the possibility of the threat of danger that the game should be considered to be postponed or delayed.

"I felt that clause was appropriate to be talked about in the context of what we were visiting about (Thursday)."

Moving the SEC championship game in Atlanta back a week was considered, but there was a scheduling conflict with a convention, Hamilton said.

"We wish it could have been played later in the year and wish we could have found a common date, but those weren't possibilities," Hamilton said.

Tennessee is now prepared to fly down the day of the game, leaving at 10:30 a.m. Monday from Knoxville.

The Vols play host to Ole Miss at 12:30 a.m. Oct. 1. LSU travels to Mississippi State next Saturday.

"It puts a strain on our football team and LSU's football team," Hamilton said. "But given the circumstances, I think (Fulmer) feels as comfortable as he can feel in light of what has gone on."