The Florida State Seminoles and No. 19 SMU Mustangs were supposed to kick off Monday night at 6:30 p.m. Central. Instead, a power outage inside Doak Campbell Stadium forced an unexpected delay just before the game was set to begin.
The Athletic’s Chris Vannini reported that the outage affected multiple areas of the stadium and initially led ESPN to announce a five-minute delay.
“Power outage in parts of Doak Campbell Stadium. ESPN says the FSU-SMU game will have a 5-minute delay, and replay won’t be available for now,” Vannini posted on X.
Florida State then announced the game was officially delayed because of the outage as fans inside Doak Campbell Stadium booed the announcement.
ESPN’s Taylor McGregor also reported during the live broadcast that officials were looking into a “backup plan” after the stadiums transformer blew with the attempt to reset it.
The game, as of this writing, is still listed as delayed with the first quarter yet to begin. When power is restored, teams will have a 10-minute warm up period.
An update is expected at 8:20 ET, McGregor reported, per ACC commissioner Jim Phillips.
“They’re optimistic, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to play,” McGregor said.
8:25 ET UPDATE:
McGregor says officials are throwing a “Hail Mary,” attempting one final option. If that option works, the power could restore at 9:00 ET. If not, the game could potentially be delayed until Tuesday.
8:42 ET UPDATE:
McGregor said kickoff time is now said to be 9:15 ET. But it won’t be as normal.
“They believe they have enough lights in order to play this game,” McGregor said. “But it’s going to be a bit tricky. Not everything is back on. The clock will come from the field. There will be no coach to player communication. There will be no iPads. The headsets from offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators to the head coach, those will be on.
“There will be no P.A., no scoreboard. This is going to look very different.”
Power Outage Delays Florida State-SMU Kickoff
The problems became apparent shortly before the scheduled kickoff.
The Athletic’s David Ubben reported from inside Doak Campbell Stadium that the stadium lights and press box were both affected while officials gathered on the field.
“The stadium lights at Doak Campbell Stadium aren’t working. The power in the press box is out. Officials are huddling on the field and the countdown to kickoff clock is paused,” Ubben posted on X.
Warchant.com also reported the outage from inside the stadium before Florida State’s official delay announcement.
“Slightly odd scene here before kickoff for FSU and SMU … the stadium lights went out along with power in the press box and some other areas of Doak Campbell Stadium. Might affect kickoff time,” Warchant posted.
That possibility quickly became reality.
The original kickoff was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central on ESPN. ESPN initially indicated only a five-minute delay, but the countdown clock remained paused as stadium personnel and game officials worked through the electrical problems.
Vannini also reported that replay would not initially be available because of the outage.
That creates an issue beyond simply getting the stadium lights back on. Replay reviews are a central part of college football officiating, and the game could not operate normally without the necessary technology functioning.
FSU-SMU Opens ACC Play With Unexpected Delay
Monday night’s matchup is the ACC opener for both teams and the first meeting between SMU and Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Florida State entered the game 1-0 after beating New Mexico State 34-17 on Aug. 29. SMU arrived ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll.
The Mustangs won the only previous meeting between the programs, beating Florida State 42-16 in Dallas during the 2024 season.
The Seminoles were already facing a significant test before the electrical problems surfaced.
Florida State entered Monday without several players on its final availability report, including defensive lineman Darryll Desir, linebacker Blake Nichelson and wide receiver Tae’Shaun Gelsey.
None of that mattered until the stadium could actually host the game.
The outage provided one of the stranger pregame scenes of the opening college football weekend. Instead of teams lining up for the opening kickoff, officials huddled on the field, the countdown clock stopped and portions of Doak Campbell Stadium went dark.
Florida State’s announcement confirmed the delay, but no extended timetable was immediately provided.
For now, the biggest question surrounding FSU-SMU isn’t which team strikes first.
It’s when the game can start.
Why Is Florida State-SMU Game Delayed Today? When Will It Start?