Kickoff for UAlbany’s football game at Buffalo got pushed back a staggering two and a half hours on Thursday night, thanks to some absolutely wild weather that left Broadview Stadium looking more like a swimming pool than a football field. What was supposed to be a 7:02 p.m. start for this nonleague contest between the Coastal Athletic Association’s Great Danes and the Mid-American Conference’s Bulls turned into an absolute marathon wait, with the first snap not happening until a ridiculously late 9:44 p.m.
Lightning, Rain, and the Longest Wait
The delay wasn’t just a minor drizzle; we’re talking full-on lightning strikes and heavy rain absolutely dumping on the field. Imagine being a player, all fired up for game time, only to be stuck in the locker room knowing the clock is ticking and the weather isn’t letting up. NCAA rules demand a half-hour delay after every lightning strike within eight miles, so you know this wasn’t just one quick flash and done. The clock just kept resetting, pushing that start time further and further into the night. It had to be a total mental battle for both squads just to stay focused and ready to go.
The “Is It Safe?” Walk-Through and a $315,000 Game
While the players waited, the big wigs were out there, literally walking the field to see if it was even playable. UAlbany athletic director Mark Benson, Buffalo athletic director Mark Alnutt, referee Billy Williams and his crew, plus head coaches Tom Perkovich for UAlbany and Pete Lembo for Buffalo were all on deck. Even CAA commissioner Joe D’Antonio and MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher were on hand, making this a full-blown summit. The field was soaked, covered in puddles, with particularly wet and soft areas near the 45-yard line and one end zone. The grounds crew had to pour turf pellets just to try and make it game-ready, but thankfully, by the time they decided to play, the field “drained well.” As Joe D’Antonio put it, they just needed to confirm the field was “safe to play. Once we determined the field was safe to play, we were going to play.” You gotta wonder if the hefty $315,000 guarantee UAlbany (an FCS team) gets from Buffalo (an FBS team) for playing this game factored into pushing through the conditions. That’s a lot of dough to just call it quits over some rain.
Uncrustables and Déjà Vu
To keep the UAlbany players from starving during the epic delay, the team pulled out the ultimate snack: Uncrustables in the locker room. You can practically picture the scene, right? This isn’t the first rodeo for UAlbany when it comes to weather woes either. Last season, their loss at Delaware State took a whopping seven hours to finish due to *two* in-game delays. That’s a brutal pattern for these Great Danes. Let’s hope for their sake the rest of their season opener slate brings clear skies and on-time kickoffs. Nobody wants another night of waiting, no matter how good those Uncrustables are.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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