SMU-FSU Game Begins Under Limited Power After Nearly Two-Hour Delay

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Monday night’s highly anticipated matchup between No. 19 SMU and Florida State finally got underway at 9:15 p.m. ET after a nearly two-hour delay caused by a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The game began under unusual and challenging circumstances, with only limited power restored throughout the stadium. Several stadium lights remained out, creating an extraordinary atmosphere for the ACC opener.

The teams also had to cope with a number of technical limitations. Coach-to-player communication systems were unavailable, there were no iPads on the sidelines, the public-address system was not functioning, and the stadium scoreboard remained off.

There was also no publicly visible game clock. Instead, the on-field officials were responsible for keeping track of the time. Some instant replays, however, were displayed on the stadium’s Jumbotron.

The stadium lights went out at approximately 7:30 p.m., shortly before the originally scheduled kickoff. The outage was reportedly caused by a transformer failure on the west side of the stadium.

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips spent several minutes on the field speaking with the athletic directors of both schools — SMU’s Damon Evans and Florida State’s Michael Alford — before administrators moved inside to discuss possible options for proceeding with the game.

At around 8:40 p.m., officials announced that the game would resume. The players were given a 10-minute warmup period before kickoff.

As the sun began to set, the stadium presented a surreal scene. Players and coaches from both teams waited anxiously as uncertainty surrounded the start of the ACC opener. Florida State (1-0) and SMU (0-0) had already emerged from their respective tunnels and reached their sidelines just moments before the game was officially delayed.

The Seminoles and Mustangs remained on the sidelines for some time before eventually being sent back to their locker rooms. After nearly two hours of uncertainty and disruption, the game finally began — albeit under limited lighting and with many of the stadium’s usual facilities unavailable.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.