Marquee College Football Game At Risk of Being Delayed After Lighting Warnings

The much-anticipated Week 1 clash between Alabama and Florida State on August 30 may not go as planned. FOX Weather has predicted a 10.0/10.0 chance of rain for the Seminoles’ season opener in Tallahassee. While rain itself isn’t expected to cause much trouble, as both teams are prepared for a wet, muddy field, it’s lightning that could change things for them.

According to Mike Rodak, Alabama staff writer for Bama247, the latest high-resolution radar scans ahead of tomorrow’s game hint at possible lightning in the Tallahassee area. That’s a real concern, because if lightning is detected, the first game on newly laid turf at Doak Campbell Stadium will see a delay, as required by NCAA rules. 

Under those guidelines, play must be suspended for at least 30 minutes from the time lightning is last spotted within an eight-mile radius of the stadium. And that clock isn’t a one-and-done thing either. Because every time another strike is detected or thunder is heard, the 30-minute wait starts all over again. While that happens, players head back to the locker room, and fans are told to take cover until it’s safe to resume. Amid it all, any set momentum gets washed away with the rain, too. 

Plus, lightning delays aren’t unusual in Florida this time of year. Just yesterday, the UCF–Jacksonville State game was held up for two hours because of storms. Last season, Miami’s mid-September matchup with Ball State saw a delay of nearly two and a half hours, and Florida vs. Texas A&M was pushed back by 45 minutes on the same day. The longest weather delay in college football history? That came in 2017, when Virginia Tech and Purdue had to wait 5 hours and 27 minutes to resume play.

“This could be a game that is kind of broken apart a lot (by delays),” FOX Weather expert Steve Bender has already stated. And if the weather turns worse, cancelling the game won’t be out of the question either, especially since Alabama vs. FSU is a non-conference matchup. This kind of game is easier to cancel because it doesn’t affect standings, and most non-conference contracts feature weather clauses that allow a no-penalty cancellation. 

But if lightning strikes in the middle of the action, both teams would rather choose to just ride it out than have the game cancelled altogether. Plus, the predicted favorite to win, Alabama, has had wet conditions factored into its prep already.

 Kalen DeBoer has had his team practice with wet and slippery footballs this week. Instead of just drenching the ball in water, DeBoer has also added some soap to the mix to make ball-handling more difficult than it will be on Saturday. “I’m trying to give them the worst case scenario of what it could be,” he said. But muddy turf or not, ground attack is still going to be a hurdle for Alabama, since star RB Jam Miller is out with an injury.

To upset the 13.5-point favorites, the Seminoles will need some help. And according to Bender, the weather will ultimately favor them. “A delay is inevitable at this point,” he’s said. So, with the game in Tallahassee, the Seminoles not only get home-field advantage but also the comfort of familiar surroundings if a long delay sends both teams back to the locker room.