Power Outage Disrupts Florida State and SMU Football Game

The college football weekend presented unexpected challenges when a power outage struck Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State University on Monday night. School officials faced chaos as they scrambled to address the situation in Tallahassee.

The Much-anticipated ACC matchup between SMU and Florida State was set to conclude Labor Day weekend, but the game faced delays. Just minutes before the scheduled 7:39 p.m. ET kickoff, a power surge left the stadium in darkness, sending both teams back to the locker rooms.

A decision was needed quickly as replay capabilities were unavailable. Despite the pressing challenges, both teams decided to proceed without full stadium power. Head Coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles was present at Doak S. Campbell Stadium for this consequential game.

Throughout the evening, officials from both schools, along with ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, met every twenty minutes to determine the next steps. Fans showed remarkable patience, entertained by the Florida State marching band amidst the tumult. At 8:45 p.m. ET, officials decided the game would proceed without any on-field communications, including helmet-to-helmet, coordinator, or iPad usage.

A General view of Doak S. Campbell Stadium captured the unique atmosphere as Florida State prepared to face No. 19 SMU.

Both teams embraced an unconventional, old-school approach due to the outage. Officials and coaches resorted to hand signals to orchestrate plays, while hoping power would return by the second half.

Covering this sport, such an incident stands out as one of the wildest occurrences on the field in recent decades. Both teams agreed it was wiser to play without normal communications, understanding the impact on the game’s dynamics.

Logistical challenges loomed if the game moved to Tuesday. SMU faced difficulties with scheduling, given an upcoming game against UC Davis. Florida State had a free weekend, but rescheduling posed issues for both sides.

The result held particular significance for Florida State coach Mike Norvell, under pressure at the season’s start. SMU’s head coach Rhett Lashlee mentioned that his team hadn’t practiced without coach-to-player communication since 2024, making the situation unprecedented.

This event ensured challenges for both coaches. Fans inside the stadium and at home witnessed a memorable night in college football history. Despite the high stakes, SMU and Florida State proceeded with the game.