Miami Hurricanes Athletic Personnel Discuss Pre-Irma Decisions

The storm impacted the entire football staff as it did with most of the teams’ staffs throughout Florida. Miami Head Coach Mark Richt gave his thoughts on the decision-making process to cancel the game.

"“The thing that was kind of the deciding factor for me was, I didn’t want to have a team in Memphis or Arkansas while all heck is breaking loose with everybody’s family. I didn’t want my players to look at me like, ‘Coach, why are we here? What are we doing here?’ Or even my staff saying, ‘What are we doing?’ I said, ‘That’s it. We’re out.'”"

After they canceled the Arkansas State game, James then spoke to ACC Commissioner John Swofford about the possibility of not being able to play the Florida State game on September 16.

"“I said, ‘John, I think we have to start thinking about the possibility of not playing the Florida State game the following week'”"

That followed by the University announcing that Campus would be closed. The entire campus is not scheduled to open until September 25. The dorms were evacuated. The Miami football teams were dispersed in various different places.

Twenty-five players stayed in South Florida, 24 were scattered in other parts of the state and 24 players went some of the Miami staff and coaches to Orlando.