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FAU AD Blames Gas Shortage on Decision to Play Wisconsin

By Alan Rubenstein

BOCA RATON, FL - SEPTEMBER 1: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Florida Atlantic Owls looks on during 4th quarter action against the Navy Midshipmen on September 1, 2017 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
BOCA RATON, FL - SEPTEMBER 1: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Florida Atlantic Owls looks on during 4th quarter action against the Navy Midshipmen on September 1, 2017 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /
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The Miami Hurricanes were the first team to cancel their game ahead of Hurricane Irma. Three other FBS Florida schools followed suit. Florida Atlantic and Florida International decided to play their games. FAU has indefinitely settled in Madison, Wisconsin.

Florida Atlantic is in its first season under Head Coach Lane Kiffin. The Owls were put up in Madison for the weekend by the Wisconsin Athletic Department. FAU chose to play its game on Saturday while four other Florida based FBS schools chose to cancel theirs.

FIU Athletic Director Pat Chun in an article posted by Matthew DeFranks of the Sun Sentinel claimed that it was too late to cancel the Owls game at Wisconsin on Saturday. FAU will be saying in Madison indefinitely until they are able to travel back to Boca Raton.

Florida Atlantic brought all 87 players on their roster to Madison. That is far more than usual for a road game. Another 23 family members traveled with the team as well. According to ESPN, every seat on the Owls flight to Madison was filled.

That marked the first time that FAU brought family members to an away game according to Chun. Kiffin mentioned that several players expressed a desire to not have to play the game. He was quoted on ESPN as saying.

"“Our players didn’t want to come because there’s a lot of players not wanting to leave their families. You’ve got kids coming into the office saying, ‘Coach, I know it’s a football game, but I’m really the only one to take care of my grandma.”"

Amazingly Chun told DeFranks one of the reasons that Florida Atlantic chose to travel to Madison was that it was too late to cancel the game due to the lack of gas in South Florida.

"“We were at a point when all the cancellations happened that if we would have put the brakes on our game, we’re going to put a bunch of young people left with empty gas tanks,” Chun said. “You know there’s gas shortages in South Florida. And with really no plan. At that point, we were committed to going, even with the cancellations simply because at that stage of the game, the traffic, the gas, we had to leave.”"

The Owls had to play the game from a financial stand point. They will net $610,000 this season from guarantees. They are paying Navy and Bethune-Cookman a combined $490,000 to travel to Boca Raton this season.

For playing at Wisconsin, Florida Atlantic receives $1.2 million dollars. A school like Florida Atlantic cannot afford to give up a sum like that. That check from Wisconsin makes up about five percent of the athletic budget for the entire 2017-18 school year.

It’s hard to believe that a gas shortage was a reason to leave Boca Raton. Florida Atlantic and Florida International ultimately chose to play their games, while UM, FSU, UCF and USF chose not to.

Next: How Does Re-Scheduling Affect Miami Hurricanes?

Florida International also announced they would be housing their athletic programs in Birmingham, Alabama indefinitely. The Golden Panthers defeated Alcorn State 17-10 in Birmingham on Friday night.

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