Miami Cancels Football Game at Arkansas State Saturday; FIU Won't Play in Miami Over Irma Concerns
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The NFL announced that the Miami Dolphins opener won’t be played in Miami Sunday.
Ahead of a possible strike from Hurricane Irma this weekend, both Miami and FIU made the decisions to postpone their football teams' games scheduled for Saturday.
Tim Reynolds from the Associated Press tweeted that the game between the Hurricanes and Arkansas State scheduled for 3:30 p.m. will be canceled. The team was expected to leave Friday for the game. The two teams do not share the same bye week, so the game will likely not be made up.
FIU announced Tuesday night that their game vs. Alcorn State will not take place as scheduled. The move came hours after it was announced that the NFL’s Miami Dolphins would also not be playing at home on Sunday to start their season.
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Officials at FIU have not announced if the game has been postponed, canceled or will be played at another location.
And it wasn't just the Miami area keeping a close eye on Irma. All over Florida, teams were bracing for what may happen.
UCF's Saturday game against Memphis was also moved up to Friday, while both Florida State and Florida announced they are moving up their Saturday games.
The Seminoles’ game against Louisiana-Monroe, scheduled for 7 p.m. in Tallahassee, will be played at 12 p.m., according to school officials. The same goes for the Gators, who are scheduled to play Northern Colorado at 7:30 p.m.
"Obviously we've got to be prepared for what's coming," said Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler, who has never been through a hurricane before. "But I think everyone in South Florida has kind of been through the drill and is well prepared."
The Dolphins and Buccaneers may play at a neutral site, or play in November since they share the same bye week. FIU officials were looking for any way to get their game in as well.
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The Germain Arena in Estero, Florida became an evacuation center where thousands of people flocked to on Saturday morning. Florida National Guardsmen are there to handle the crowds.
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People gather on the beach in Naples on Saturday, September 9, 2017, before the arrival of Hurricane Irma.
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People wait in line to enter the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, on Saturday, September 9, 2017. It is serving as a shelter from the approaching Hurricane Irma, which is forecast to hit Florida's west coast on Sunday.
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People take shelter behind trees from the high winds and rain in Miami Beach, Florida, as Hurricane Irma approaches on Saturday, September 9, 2017.
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Brad Birrencott and Corey Shapiro work to load sandbags to place around their home in St. Petersburg, Florida, as they prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma on Saturday, September 09, 2017.
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A person looks out from behind doors as the outer bands of Hurricane Irma pass through in Miami Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 9, 2017. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore Sunday at Category 4.
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People arrive at a shelter at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday, September 9, 2017, where thousands of Floridians are hoping to ride out Hurricane Irma. The Fort Myers area could begin to feel hurricane-force winds from Irma by 11 a.m. Sunday and experience wind gusts over 100 mph from Sunday through Monday.
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People enjoy the beaches and fishing pier in Naples before the arrival of Hurricane Irma into Southwest Florida on Sept. 8, 2017 in Bonita Springs, Florida. The Naples area could begin to feel hurricane-force winds from Irma by 11 a.m. Sunday and experience wind gusts over 100 mph from Sunday through Monday.
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A Dayton Beach gas station runs out of gas ahead of Hurricane Irma in Daytona Beach, Florida, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Coastal residents around South Florida have been ordered to evacuate as the killer storm closes in on the peninsula for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend.
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Heavy traffic on Interstate 75 moves slowly, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Forrest Park, south of Atlanta, Georgia. A massive evacuation has clogged Florida's major highways, forcing officials to open up the shoulders to drivers on Interstate 75 from Wildwood, where the Florida turnpike ends, to the Georgia state line.
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Mariners work together to secure each other's vessels at Harbor Square Marina as residents in the area prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 07, 2017 in Meritt Island, Florida.
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A cruise ship prepares to depart as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Current tracks for Hurricane Irma shows that it could hit south Florida this weekend.
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Workers board up Mango's Restaurant and Night Club as the city prepares for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017, in Miami Beach, Florida.
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Park officials fill sand bags for residents preparing for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2016, in Miami Beach, Florida. Current forecasts for Hurricane Irma shows that it could hit south Florida this weekend.
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Broward County officials prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017, at the Broward County Emergency Operations Center in Plantation, Florida.
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Tourists and residents of Key West, Florida, heed evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017, clearing out streets and businesses ahead of the storm. Irma is forecasted to make landfall over the weekend.
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Duvel Street stands empty as tourists and residents of Key West, Florida, heed evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017.
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Mail boxes are wrapped in plastic as the city prepares for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017, in Miami Beach, Florida. Current tracks for Hurricane Irma shows that it could hit south Florida later this weekend.
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A worker puts up metal siding over the glass windows of the Il Villaggio condominiums while preparing for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2016, in Miami Beach, Florida. Current forecasts for Hurricane Irma shows that it could hit south Florida this weekend.
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A steady stream of traffic heads north on Overseas Highway as mandatory evacuations continue in Monroe County and the Florida Keys on Sept. 6, 2017. The evacuation is ahead of Hurricane Irma, expected to make landfall on Florida this weekend.
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Bare shelves line a Miami grocery story after their supply of bottled water was emptied by people preparing for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017, in Miami, Florida.
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Motorists head north on US 1, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, north of Key Largo, Florida. Keys officials announced a mandatory evacuation Wednesday for visitors, with residents being told to leave the next day.
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Luis Lorenzo, left, and Jairo Ruiz, right, purchase plywood from The Home Depot as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017, in Miami, Florida. Irma is projected to hit the Sunshine State by the weekend.
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People purchase plywood at The Home Depot as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017 in Miami, Florida.
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Residents in Miami Beach, Florida, were grabbing sand bags Wednesday morning ahead of evacuations for the city on Sept. 6, 2017.
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Shoppers dealt with a limited amount of supplies that were picked up quickly at a Lowe's in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
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Shoppers gathered all the items they could at a Lowe's in Pembroke Pines, Florida, shortly after doors opened Wednesday morning on Sept. 6, 2017.
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A gas tanker arrives at a Key Largo gas station ahead of mandatory evacuations for people living in the Florida Keys. Hurricane Irma is projected to hit the Sunshine State by the weekend.
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Drivers hit the road before dawn in Key Largo ahead of evacuation orders for the Florida Keys.
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Jose Escobar and his son, Jose Escobar, Jr., install shutters over windows as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 5, 2017 in Homestead, Florida. A state of emergency has been declared in Florida as Irma has intensified to a Category 5 hurricane and heads toward the region.
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People line up for fuel in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 5, 2017, in Homestead, Florida. A state of emergency was declared in Florida as Irma has intensified to a Category 5 hurricane and heads toward the region.
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A woman installs hurricane shutters on her home in the Florida Keys on Sept. 5, 2017, in Islamorada, Florida. Residents are evacuating ahead of Irma, which is predicted to hit Florida over the weekend.
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ISLAMORADA, FL - SEPTEMBER 05: Workers install hurricane shutters on the Puerto Villarta restuarant on Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys on Septeber 5, 2017 in Islamorada, Florida. Residents are evacuating ahead of Hurricane Irma, a powerful storm expected to make landfall this weekend. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
"We are monitoring the situation and looking at all options," FIU executive director of sports and entertainment Pete Garcia said.
For now, No. 16 Miami and Florida Atlantic are planning to play this weekend — well out of the storm's projected path. Miami is scheduled to go to Arkansas State, and FAU is set to visit No. 9 Wisconsin.
Getting out of South Florida shouldn't be a problem for those teams. Getting back might be another story.
"Right now, everything is on go," Hurricanes coach Mark Richt said. "But with this storm coming and the direction it looks like it's taking, it's certainly a possibility it comes here, so we'll have to figure out what's best."
Irma's winds were 185 mph Tuesday, a strong Category 5 storm, and forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said it could strengthen more as it neared the eastern-most Caribbean islands. The storm had the most powerful winds ever recorded for a storm in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Miami Marlins won't have any home games affected by Irma; the team leaves for a road trip on Wednesday night. Families of Marlins players have been invited on the trip, so they wouldn't have to ride out what could be a devastating storm at home.
"If you had your kids here and you're leaving on a trip, it's not the best feeling to leave your family somewhere," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi indicated that he wasn't sure if the AL wild-card leaders would start a series at Tampa Bay as scheduled starting Monday because of Irma fears. "It might be in jeopardy, and I think anyone that looks at the path would assume that it might be in jeopardy," Girardi told reporters in Baltimore. Moving the series to New York may be a possibility.
