Florida State-SMU power outage has massive consequences for Monday night showdown
The Florida State vs. SMU CFB game on Monday, September 7 will look much different than anyone envisioned as a result of a power outage.
On September 7, 2026, the Florida State University vs. SMU football game faced an unexpected power outage before kickoff, causing significant disruption. Fans resorted to using their phone flashlights as a makeshift light source during the delay. The outage also affected various technological aspects of the game, including iPads for coaching and player communication, as well as the replay system.
As a result, the game will be played without a PA announcer or scoreboard, altering the typical atmosphere fans have come to expect. ESPN, broadcasting the match, is not utilizing the stadium power for its transmission, which poses logistical challenges for the network crew. The scheduled kickoff time of 7:30 PM EDT was pushed back by nearly two hours due to the unforeseen circumstances.
Despite Florida State investing $250 million to renovate the stadium, the incident has not been well-received by the fans. The game will be televised on ESPN, providing free coverage of the top news and trending stories through The Big Lead Newsletter.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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