Miami, other teams bow to Irma’s impact
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The Miami Hurricanes decided to take the weekend off, the Miami Dolphins were given the weekend off, and many other teams around the state of Florida kept a very cautious eye Wednesday on powerful and destructive Hurricane Irma as it churned across the Atlantic on a path toward the U.S.
No. 16 Miami canceled its game at Arkansas State, in part out of concern that the Hurricanes may get stranded away from home if the storm strikes South Florida. The Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were scheduled to play a Miami home game Sunday, now will get the opening week of the NFL year off and won’t meet until Nov. 19.
No. 10 Florida State and No. 22 Florida moved up their Saturday home games to midday starts, out of caution. A slew of other events were either cancelled or rescheduled, all in deference to the storm that forecasters believe may start affecting the state by Saturday — possibly as a direct hit.
Florida International is hitting the road, now set to play Alcorn State on Friday night at Birmingham, Alabama. That game was originally set to be FIU’s home opener (and first home game under Butch Davis) on Saturday, but Irma forced the switch to a neutral site.
All Hurricanes teams scheduled to play this weekend, home and away, have seen those contests cancelled.
Florida State and Florida were both going to play night games as their home openers this weekend, with the Seminoles facing Louisiana-Monroe and the Gators playing host to Northern Colorado.
More football schedule changes may be coming.
No. 21 South Florida’s game at Connecticut on Saturday may either be changed or called off, officials said, and Florida Atlantic’s trip to No. 9 Wisconsin was still on — but there are contingencies in place, if the Owls can’t get home Saturday night as scheduled. The Florida Panthers chartered a plane to take about 90 people — players, staff, coaches and families — and 20 pets to Boston and out of Irma’s path on Friday. Panthers CEO Matthew Caldwell said the team originally chartered a smaller plane, then upgraded when more seats were needed. The team is planning to stay in the Boston area through at least the weekend, depending on what Irma does.