University of Miami

Miami Hurricanes home game vs. Ball State delayed two-and-a-half hours due to lightning

Football fans react as it starts to rain before The start of the Miami Hurricanes NCAA football game against the Ball State Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
Football fans react as it starts to rain before The start of the Miami Hurricanes NCAA football game against the Ball State Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Saturday, September 14, 2024. adiaz@miamiherald.com

The start of the Miami Hurricanes’ home game against Ball State on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium was delayed multiple times due to lightning.

The game finally kicked off at 5:55 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.

Lightning first surfaced in the area at about 3 p.m. as the teams were beginning to take pregame warmups. Fans already at the stadium were asked to seek shelter in the concourse until given an all clear.

Teams returned to the field at 4:15 p.m. to complete warmups for what was anticipated to be a 4:45 p.m. kickoff but the latest round of lightning struck shortly after both teams finished warmups at about 4:30 p.m.

The NCAA requires a minimum of a 30 minute delay if there’s lightning within an eight-mile radius of the stadium.

If another lightning strike hits at any point during the delay, the clock restarts.

This story was originally published September 14, 2024 at 3:20 PM.

Jordan McPherson
Miami Herald
Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.
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