FAU’s game with B-C still on as planned
MADISON, WIS. — Florida Atlantic’s football team should return to its routine this afternoon, when it is scheduled to fly back to Boca Raton after an extended stay in Madison, Wis.
The Owls have been in Madison since arriving Friday night — ahead of their 31-14 loss to No. 9 Wisconsin on Saturday — and have been stranded due to Hurricane Irma’s damage this weekend. FAU will practice one more time at Camp Randall Stadium today before leaving Wisconsin shortly after that, FAU coach Lane Kiffin said. The team practiced at Camp Randall both Monday and Tuesday afternoon.
Wisconsin provided practice space for the Owls, in addition to food, medical facilities, its weight room and meeting rooms. The Badgers and athletic director Barry Alvarez also helped offset hotel costs for FAU.
“They’re gone above and beyond,” Kiffin said. “It hasn’t just been food. It hasn’t just been facilities. To let us use their meeting rooms, that’s kind of sacred sometimes for people. It’s been really neat.”
When FAU lands back in South Florida, it’ll hope to play its scheduled game Saturday against BethuneCookman at FAU Stadium. Both FAU and BethuneCookman are planning to play the game at the scheduled 6:30 p.m. kickoff time.
A university spokesperson said Irma did not cause any damage to FAU Stadium that would affect the game, though some of the scoreboard signage was lifted during the storm.
But hotel and flight availability for visiting teams (Bethune-Cookman in football, Old Dominion in men’s soccer, and Stetson, North Dakota State and BethuneCookman in volleyball) remains a hurdle. So does a potential curfew, should it remain intact for Palm Beach County.
B e t h u n e - C o o k m a n ’s team was in Baton Rouge on Tuesday morning, still in the area after beating Southeastern Louisiana over the weekend. The Wildcats were practicing at Southern University and planned to fly back to Daytona Beach on Tuesday afternoon, coach Terry Sims said.
Sims said Bethune-Cookman athletic director Lynn Thompson and FAU AD Pat Chun have been doing all the planning for the game.
“If anything changes, then I’m sure they’ll get both (myself and Kiffin) of us involved,” Sims said.
Sims said the majority of power was back on at Bethune-Cookman’s campus. He added that he was not concerned about the ability to drive from Daytona to Boca Raton.
“We have [not] received any word that it’s going to be tough to drive,” Sims said. “We don’t know. But I’m not anticipating anything right now. We’re just going to continue to prepare and see what happens. Once we get to that point on Friday, if they tell us it’s a go, then we’re going.”
For the Owls, their stay in Madison has given them a training camp-like vibe. They’re removed from the usual juggling acts of college life — their classes and their social life on top of football — to create more free time. All they have this week is football, albeit in unusual circumstances.
“I think it actually might be a blessing in disguise,” FAU quarterback Daniel Parr said. “Now, all we really have to focus on is the game. There’s not really too many outside things. Now, we’re just focused on next Saturday and going out there and playing.”
The extra time has also allowed the Owls to form deeper team bonds. Kiffin said the team was attending a bowling or pool event Tuesday night.