Wording not preserved
A initial alert message is documented at this point in the sequence, but its exact wording is not preserved in the public record. The public edition displays only confirmed alert text.
UF
Severe storm, September 14, 2024
AI-generated · every claim is source-linkedConfirmed Threat
Lightning was detected within eight miles of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (known as 'The Swamp') in Gainesville at approximately 4:30 PM EDT on September 14, 2024, suspending the SEC opener between the Florida Gators and No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies. Per SEC protocol, fans were directed off the open seating decks into the concourse while players returned to the locker rooms. The 47-minute delay came at the end of the first quarter with Texas A&M leading 7-0.
- Alerts
- 3
- Response
- —
- Killed
- —
- Injured
- —
~60,000 studentsUF Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how UF says it will use UF Alert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline
Alert Sequence
3 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim
Some messages in this sequence are documented (their existence, timing, and channel are sourced) but their exact wording is not preserved in the public record. Those entries appear as placeholders; only confirmed text is displayed.
Our game against Texas A&M is in a weather delay due to lightning in the area.
Follow @FloridaGators for more weather updates.
Exact text from official @GatorsFB status
We are estimated to resume the game at 5:17
Exact text from official @FloridaGators status; resume estimate 5:17
Context
Background
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (universally called 'The Swamp') is the University of Florida's 88,548-seat on-campus football venue and one of the largest in the SEC. The September 14, 2024 SEC opener against No. 9 Texas A&M ended its first quarter when lightning was detected within eight miles of the stadium and the game was suspended at approximately 4:30 PM EDT. Fans were directed off the seating decks into the concourse, while players returned to their locker rooms. The SEC's weather protocol requires a continuous 30-minute clear period after the last strike within an eight-mile radius before play can resume, twenty minutes with players off the field and ten minutes for warm-up. After a 47-minute total delay, play resumed at approximately 5:17 PM EDT. Texas A&M won 33-20, outscoring Florida 26-13 after the resumption. The Independent Florida Alligator's live blog recorded the suspension and restart in real time; Gig 'Em Gazette tracked the delay from the Texas A&M side. Florida's UF Alert emergency-notification system is the campus-wide mass-notification platform, but on game day the PA system, videoboard, and athletics social channels typically carry the immediate operational messaging while UF Alert is reserved for evacuations and threats to life. The September 14 delay was one of several SEC games disrupted by lightning the same weekend.
Analysis
Key Findings
Ben Hill Griffin's open-bowl design forces a strict-evacuation protocol: the concourse and stairwells are the only on-site shelter for 88,000-plus fans, since the seating decks themselves provide no overhead protection
The 47-minute total delay reflects roughly one cycle of the SEC eight-mile / 30-minute reset clock plus the 10-minute player warm-up, a textbook lightning hold rather than a multi-cell event
On game day, UF's operational messaging runs through the PA, videoboard, and @GatorsFB / @UF social accounts; UF Alert is reserved for threats to life and full evacuations
Texas A&M scored 26 unanswered points after the delay, illustrating how lightning holds disproportionately affect the team holding rhythm at the time of the stoppage
Outcome
Game resumed at approximately 5:17 PM EDT after the SEC-mandated 30-minute clear period (last strike + 30 minutes) and a player warm-up window. Texas A&M won 33-20. No injuries reported during the evacuation of the seating bowl.
Provenance
Sources
- Student Paper
- News
- News
- News
- NewsCollege Football Weather Delay Rules (College Football Network)collegefootballnetwork.comarchived copy
- Official
- Social
- Social
Cite this case
Campus Alert Archive. "University of Florida: Severe storm, September 14, 2024." Incident of September 14, 2024. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-florida-ben-hill-griffin-lightning-delay-2024-09-14/
Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.
Tags
severe-stormlightningstadium-evacuationben-hill-griffinthe-swampfootballfloridasecweather-delaygame-daynon-violentpublic-r1
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion