A meet scheduled for Saturday, October 8th, between the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Duke Blue Devils, and Florida State Seminoles will be reduced to just two teams – the latest impact of Hurricane Matthew that is approaching the Florida coast as a Category 4, strengthening toward Category 5, hurricane.
While Tallahassee is not expected to be directly impacted by the storm (no rain is forecast through the weekend), the decision was likely made in an effort to leave roadways, airports, and most importantly hotels clear for the millions being evacuated from the Atlantic coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Tallahassee and Tampa, both on the Gulf Coast of the state, have been identified among the nearest large “safe spots” for evacuees to travel to.
The meet with Minnesota may be rescheduled, but plans are still pending.
The Golden Gophers will now open their regular season at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center next Thursday, Oct. 13 with a 4 p.m. meet against Wisconsin. The meet will stream live via BTN Plus.
The hurricane previously impacted several other college meets – including a big Division II showdown between Florida Southern and Nova Southeastern. The South Carolina High School State Championship meet was also pushed back a week.