Power outage delays Florida State and SMU football game at Doak Campbell Stadium
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 8, 2026, 1:00 AM
Last updated Sep 8, 2026

A power surge at Doak Campbell Stadium forced a lengthy delay to the Florida State matchup against No. 19 SMU on Monday night. The outage affected lights throughout the venue, including the press box area, preventing play from continuing as night fell. ESPN sideline reporter Taylor McGregor provided consistent updates on the restoration efforts, relaying information from ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and stadium technical staff. The stadium video board eventually confirmed the delay stemmed from an electrical short in a main transformer on the west side of the facility. Officials scheduled the game to resume at 9:15 p.m. ET under restricted conditions, including no coach-to-player communication or functioning scoreboard. The delay highlighted the logistical challenges of managing a technical failure during a live broadcast.
- •A power surge caused a stadium-wide lighting failure in Tallahassee on Monday night.
- •Technical staff identified an electrical short in a main transformer as the cause of the disruption.
- •Play was suspended for over an hour before a 9:15 p.m. ET kickoff was established.
- •The resumed game proceeded without coach-to-player communication, iPads, or a functioning scoreboard.
- 1:00 AMYahoo Sports — Taylor McGregor puts on reporting masterclass during Florida State-SMU power outage delay on ESPN
"ESPN welcomed viewers into Doak Campbell Stadium for Florida State’s matchup with No. 19 SMU at 7:29 p.m. EST on Monday night. “And right at that moment, that’s when everything went down,” ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch explained. “Lights went off on floors eight and nine, including our floor here, along with all the lights…
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