With Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida, the University of Florida has cancelled its game against Northern Colorado, which was scheduled for Saturday.
“We have been in constant communication this week with University and government officials,” Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said in the official release on FloridaGators.com. “As the Hurricane’s track has approached the state of Florida, it’s become obvious that playing a football game is not the right thing to do. The focus of our state and region needs to be on evacuations and relief efforts. There is a tremendous amount of stress currently on the roads of this state, and the availability of gas, water and other supplies are at critical levels. Playing a college football game Saturday would only add to that stress.
Stricklin added that “Gainesville is also close to some of Florida’s heaviest traffic points this week, specifically Interstate 75, which is a key statewide evacuation route.”
The release added that the game will not be rescheduled, as the teams do not have a common bye week later in the season.
This is a no-brainer decision. With people in Florida trying to save their homes and possibly lives, a college football game is far from a top priority. The Gators are scheduled to play on Saturday, September 16, also in Gainesville.