Florida vs. LSU game postponed indefinitely due to hurricane, future uncertain - CBSSports.com

 

With Hurricane Matthew bearing down on the state of Florida, the decision was made to postpone Saturday's game between LSU and Florida in Gainesville. The SEC will work to reschedule the game for a future date if possible.

 

"We had a very productive phone call today with a great spirit of cooperation between the universities' presidents and athletics directors and it became clear that the University of Florida could neither host nor travel to a game this weekend considering the circumstances," said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. "The developments of the hurricane in the last 24 hours, the projected magnitude of its impact and the unknown aftermath of this storm have resulted in this decision to seek another date to play the LSU-Florida game. We have to be sensitive to the possible imminent disruption to the state of Florida and in particular the Gainesville and surrounding area."

 

The SEC, LSU and Florida discussed other options for the game, including playing the game at an alternate site or in Baton Rouge, but decided it was in the best interest of all parties to postpone the game.

 

As for the possibility of the game being played later in the season, the two teams have different bye weeks (Florida on Oct. 22, LSU on Oct. 29), but could potentially work on buyout options for their respective Nov. 19 nonconference games with Presbyterian and South Alabama to play the conference game instead.

 

While that seems like the most likely option, another possible alternative would be to play the game on Dec. 3 (the same day as the SEC Championship Game) or Dec. 10 (the week after) depending where the two teams are in the standings.

The SEC has also said it will consider moving "other games on the schools' schedules" in an attempt to make Florida-LSU happen. The league says a conference game has never before been canceled due to natural causes.

 

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said in a press conference that the Gators are "100 percent committed to any scenario" in which they can play the Tigers, noting that "we want to play a football game." Furthermore, he said UF going to Baton Rouge was not an option for the same reasons -- buses, gas, security, safety -- that LSU is not going to be driving to Gainesville.

 

If the game is unable to be played at a later date, it will be the second year in a row that LSU has had a game cancelled due to severe weather. Last season, the Tigers' opener against McNeese State was cancelled and not made up. It will be the second time in the last three years that Florida has seen a game cancelled as the 2014 season opener against Idaho was called off due to lightning.

 

LSU's next game will be at home against Southern Miss, while Florida is scheduled to host Missouri on Oct. 15.

In the wake of LSU-Florida ‘postponement,’ potential embarrassment on the table for the SEC – CollegeFootballTalk

 

Public relations-wise and competition-wise, there are at least two absolute and utter nightmare scenarios that could play out for the SEC based on today’s events.

 

Earlier Thursday, the conference announced that the LSU-Florida game scheduled for Saturday will be “postponed” because of the threat of Hurricane Matthew. While the league stated that all involved parties “will work to reschedule the game later in the 2016 season if possible,” most see that as highly unlikely at best.

 

Neither team has a bye weekend that lines up with the other, so that’s not an option. The teams both play non-conference games the weekend of Nov. 19 and could buy out those games to allow this one to go off, although it’s unclear if LSU would be willing to give up a home game to play in Gainesville — especially when they seemingly bent over backwards in an attempt to accommodate getting the postponed game in this weekend.

 

The SEC could also push its championship game, set for Dec. 3, back a week to allow for this game to be played that weekend if it would have an impact on the standings. That could prove to be a logistical minefield, though, and would also have to get the approval of the College Football Playoff Committee as their final rankings that will set the four semifinalists are slated to be released on Dec. 4.

 

If there’s no resolution that results in the game being played? Hello mother of all embarrassing PR nightmares.

 

Per conference bylaws, the winner of the East or West divisions of the SEC is determined by the team with the highest winning percentage. LSU currently stands at 2-1 in league play; if the Tigers win out to finish at 6-1, which would include a win over Alabama, and again this postponed game is not made up, the Tigers could lose out on the West’s spot in the conference championship game to a 7-1 Tide team they beat on the field because of winning percentage (.875 for UA, .857 for LSU). That scenario, of course, assumes both LSU and ‘Bama handle current conference-unbeaten Texas A&M.

 

While the potential situation in the other division is a little more unlikely, and not nearly as embarrassing as the above, it’s still a possibility.

 

Tennessee currently leads the SEC East at 2-0, followed by Florida at 2-1. with the lone loss coming to the Vols. Should the Gators win out they’d finish at 6-1. If the Vols stumble twice to finish at 6-2, Florida would received the title game berth based of winning percentage.

 

In other words, there’s a very real incentive for the Tigers to get this game rescheduled and played. The Gators? Not so much.

 

Given the situation, it would behoove the SEC to step and demand that the two teams buy out the Nov. 19 non-conference games and get this game played — and, in the process, ensure avoiding some significant embarrassment on down the road.

Writer days Florida AD "played" the new SEC commissioner.

 

 

Jeremy Foley plays SEC like a fiddle in one last hurrah as Florida AD

LSU isn't beating Alabama.

Florida made it pretty clear they had no intentions of trying to play the game once LSU basically said they'd do any and everything to make it happen.

@mcmurphyESPN

LSU AD Joe Alleva says on ESPN 104.5 in Baton Rouge: “The (UF) game is not going to happen at this point"

This is embarrassing for Florida.

 

Disney World is opening back up tomorrow morning, but Florida isn't capable of playing a football game? What a joke.

This is embarrassing for Florida.

 

Disney World is opening back up tomorrow morning, but Florida isn't capable of playing a football game? What a joke.

 

I agree. Bad for the SEC too. They should be punished.

I agree. Bad for the SEC too. They should be punished.

 

Zero chance I allow Florida to even sniff a playoff bowl this season if I'm on the committee, even if they win out and win the SEC Championship....

Zero chance I allow Florida to even sniff a playoff bowl this season if I'm on the committee, even if they win out and win the SEC Championship....

 

Here's the hypothetical problem...what if they finish out undefeated now? There will always be that "what if they played LSU..." hanging around. They won't...but what if they did?

Here's the hypothetical problem...what if they finish out undefeated now? There will always be that "what if they played LSU..." hanging around. They won't...but what if they did?

 

If I were on the committee the highest I'd even consider placing them is 5th...