Q&A: Foley discusses Florida-LSU postponement
Following the SEC Office's announcement that Florida-LSU would be postponed, retiring Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley met with the media Thursday afternoon to answer a number of burning questions about the factors surrounding the decision and the possibility of the game being played in the future.
Opening statement:
Foley: “Obviously we know that this decision here seemed like it has taken a long, long time. Obviously a lot of important things to consider, details to work through, a lot of moving parts. This storm, as we all know, is a significant issue in this state, certainly in this community. Our thoughts and prayers are going to go in toward everybody who may be impacted by a storm we haven't seen in this area in a long, long time. Certainly want to make sure we say that up front. But I also want to make sure up front that I commend commissioner (Greg) Sankey on this decision. Not an easy one. A tough one. A lot that went into it, as I said.
"We'll discuss a little bit about that here in a minute, but Greg is as good as they come. I think he showed that here with his leadership in this decision. This situation has evolved with our football game, lot of moving parts. Been tracking this storm since Tuesday. I've been in constant communication with the Southeastern Conference since Tuesday. As late as yesterday afternoon we spoke with the league and thought there was a very, very good chance we could play it on Saturday. Maybe adjust the game time on Saturday, but really thought that we were going to be able to play. In fact, when I went home last night, that's what I thought. And then we all know this storm, even late yesterday afternoon, took a turn. Another turn last night and again this morning.
"As I've said in my opening remarks here, this is a very, very significant event, and it made it impossible to play this football game here in Gainesville on Saturday and Sunday. To put on a football game of this magnitude and the number of people that come into Gainesville, it's an extraordinary amount of people. Certainly, emergency personnel, police, ticket-takers, ushers, you name it. Those resources were not going to be available to us. Every police department in the area indicated to us that their resources would be deployed elsewhere, as did emergency medical people.
“Obviously, you could not play a game under those circumstances, nor would you want to. As I said, this is potentially catastrophic event for the state and public resources need to be employed where they’re most needed. In addition, Alachua County was designated an evacuation area so that people who are leaving their homes.
"I think I read where it’s the largest evacuation due to a storm in the United States since Hurricane Sandy. Over two million people were asked to leave their homes to head to places like Gainesville. And to bring fans into an area where hotel rooms are needed obviously was unreasonable. It was not possible to play this game in Gainesville. As I’ve said, it’s the right decision, we support it. At the end of the day, decisions like this are made based on things that really matter. What matters are people’s safety, people’s well-being. And I’ve said earlier, lots of prayers for those who are going to be significantly impacted as this storm progresses. Football is important. But it doesn’t take importance over those items right there.
“As was indicated, and is true, certainly LSU reached out and indicated that they’d host the game in Baton Rouge, probably on Sunday. Almost impossible to accommodate that request, which we greatly appreciated. I think everybody in this room understands how the University of Florida feels about playing LSU. We made that clear several years ago in Destin when they were talking about our schedule maybe rotating permanent opponents. Very, very strong belief that this series is very important to our fan base, very important to this institution. But to try to put a road trip together of 150-plus people in a day and half, not knowing the condition of the roads, not knowing the conditions of the airports, trying to get equipment out there.
"Again, not in the best interest of safety, not in the best interest of people that would be involved in that trip. To me and our staff and obviously commissioner Sankey pales in comparison worrying about getting out to Baton Rouge when people in this state may be dealing with stuff that is far more significant, far more serious. People in this state may be dealing with stuff that is far more significant, far more serious. So that really didn’t work either.
"As I’ve said I really understand the interest in the game, people’s desire to play the game. At the end of the day we make these decisions based on what matters, and people’s safety is what matters. That’s why the decision was made as it did. It took as long as it did because a lot of moving parts. It involved two institutions, it involved the Southeastern Conference commissioner as the ultimate authority to cancel or postpone games. It involved the storm, its track kept changing. Ultimately right now we think we are in for a significant issue and this is the wisest course of action.”
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* Florida-LSU postponed in wake of Hurricane Matthew
* Discuss the Florida-LSU postponement news in the Alley
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What are potential make-up scenarios for the Florida-LSU game?
Foley: “We told the league we’re 100% committed to whatever scenario they can come up with. Certainly we don’t have a consistent open date. Moving games … I’ve read where there’s this scenario, that scenario, the league will work on those. It’s not as easy sometimes as it seems and involves other games, it involves other teams, it involves television contracts, whatever have you. I know Greg Sankey and Mark Womack are probably working on that right now. Whatever scenario they come up with we’re going to be in favor of. We want to play the football game. This is not about not wanting to play the football game, as you all know. So whatever scenario that is brought up to us, that makes it work, that they think is workable, the University of Florida is going to be in favor of that.”
Why is the announcement being made just now?
Foley: "I would tell you that the University of Florida has been concerned about this game since this morning. I've been in constant communication with the commissioner. The commissioner has been in contact with LSU. As I said, a lot of different moving parts. Ultimately, it's the Southeastern Conference's decision to make the call that they did, that Commissioner Sankey did, that as I said was the right decision and I commend them for that. Not a perfect scenario. None of this is perfect, but I'll be honest with you, if you're on the coast of Florida right now your life is really not perfect. So again, I'll go back to what I said earlier, I understand the significance of the game, understand the importance of football to LSU and to Florida and to the Southeastern Conference.
"It pales in comparison with what some folks are getting ready to deal with, so timing is what it is. Nobody tried to drag this out, nobody didn't want to make a decision, just a lot of things to consider. Certainly the storm keeping, changing its track to make it more significant in my opinion, in our opinion, in the opinion of the experts didn't make that easy. But certainly in my opinion the timing worked out as good as it could. And I get people don't understand that sometimes, but they're not in the room, they don't understand the dynamics, they don't understand all the different people involved in decisions like this. You know, if that's a criticism, that's fair, but as I said, it's not earth-shattering as certain people's lives may be here shortly."
If the game cannot be made up, what does that mean for the SEC standings?
Foley: "No, no, no. Again, the most important thing today in this decision was making it. There are certainly far more important issues that are being discussed on this campus and around this community and around this state. At some point that stuff will all sort itself out. The league will be the leader in those conversations. They'll be the leader in providing scenarios and I'm sure athletic directors will vote on that at some point in time, or presidents, but again on the importance list of today, that's not very high on the list. No disrespect. The league will be the leader in those conversations. They'll be the leader in providing scenarios and I'm sure athletic directors will vote on that at some point and time or presidents, but again Thomas, on the importance list of today, that's not very high on the list. No disrespect. I know you've got to ask the question, but no disrespect."
When would the decision to make a road trip have to have been made by?
Foley: "We made it the same time. Our decision today was that this football game could not be played here this weekend in Gainesville nor could the University of Florida be traveling this weekend. One other part of this conversation that people don't realize is we have players on our team whose families are being impacted by what's potentially going to happen here. Gainesville is going to have some issues I believe in terms of rain and wind based on the forecast that we've been told, so you go on the road and back here, you may have staff people or players or what have you with families that have electricity, at the end of the day, it boils down to 'What are we trying to do here?'
"It goes back to what I said earlier. We are going to make sure people are safe. We're going to make sure we do the right things for the right reasons. We'd love to play this football game. I'll go back to what I said earlier, today, the decision was made on our end that we could not play this in Gainesville on Saturday or Sunday nor would we want to put our football team on the road under the same set of circumstances."
What were some of the travel options other than Gainesville or Baton Route?
Foley: "There were none."
So it was either Gainesville or Baton Rouge?
Foley: "Regardless, the same set of factors apply. Games at Florida, at Gainesville, at Florida Field, at Steve Spurrier Florida Field are not going to be feasible because you could not put on the game. You had no resources. You had no personnel. The resources in Gainesville are overstressed already. You aren't going to put your team on the road and still have the same issue about travelling equipment trucks through this kind of weather. Traveling a team without any security because security forces are being deployed where they should be deployed. Would there be gas for the busses? Could you get busses? There’s so many unknowns and you cannot plan and hope that come Sunday this would all work out.
"One thing our staff does a great job around here is plan for the worst and hope for the best. You can’t plan something and hope it all works out. Moving the football team in a day and a half, one thing people don’t realize is there’s a track record in this league with the South Carolina-LSU game a year ago, those conversations started Sunday, how that could happen, how that could work. A week before the game. It’s Thursday afternoon, as Edgar said, you’re just not piecing that together, nor in our opinion would it be safe. We have a responsibility to our team and to our coaches as well. That just wasn’t something that we were willing to do.”
Is the Nov. 19 date an option? (Florida and LSU host non-conference opponents in Presbyterian and South Alabama, respectively).
Foley: “Those conversations will all be handled within the league. I’ll reiterate what I said. It’s the University of Florida and I told this to the Commissioner and I told this to LSU; 100% behind whatever scenario they can come up with that allows this game to be played. If the 19th is one of those days that allows it to work the Gators will be there and LSU will be there. If there’s some other scenario out there, and I have no idea what the league may be working on, we’re going to be 100 percent behind playing. This is not an issue about Florida not wanting to play LSU. I think and I hope that everyone understands that.”
Is there a buyout for the Presbyterian game?
Foley: “That buyout is, I think, a little less than half a million dollars. There’s insurance and scenarios and TV and all those type of things. That’s why it will be handled in the league. The money is not an issue. Can it be worked out? Those are conversations that you probably need to hold with the Southeastern Conference. If it can be worked out we’ll be thrilled, excited and ready to play that football game and I know our fans will be too.”
Are there any concerns with the O'Connell Center renovation possibly being affected by Hurricane Matthew?
Foley: “Any time you have an event such as this, there is concern everywhere. There’s concern for people’s houses, for the city of Gainesville, for people that don’t have homes, whatever have you. Certainly there is no question that construction site could be impacted, but that stuff hasn’t happened yet, We will worry about that when it happens, if there is a problem there we will deal with it and I am sure the construction folks will do as well.”
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