Due to the predicted damage to both the Midlands and the state of South Carolina overall from Hurricane Florence, the game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Marshall Thundering Herd has been canceled.
South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner announced the decision on Wednesday.
“Whether or not the game could have been played, we made the decision we think is best for the state and those who are evacuating the coast,” said Tanner in a release. “There is no question this is the right thing to do.”
Since the game against Marshall is not happening on Sept.15, the Gamecocks are now looking for opportunities to play a 12th regular season game later this year. South Carolina is not scheduled to play on Oct. 20, their previously scheduled bye week, and on Dec. 1, which is the date of the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.
The school has not released information on whether tickets will be honored if a 12th game is rescheduled, or if refunds will be issued in the event that the Gamecocks only play 11 games this season.
This is not the first time that a hurricane has forced the Gamecocks to alter their football schedule in recent years. In 2015, floods in the Columbia area forced a game against the LSU Tigers to be moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The following year, Hurricane Matthew forced the Gamecocks to play the Georgia Bulldogs on the following Sunday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Gamecocks will return to play on Sept. 22 when they travel to Vanderbilt. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. on the SEC Network.