Sports

BC's bowl game canceled due to lightning

DALLAS — The ServPro First Responder Bowl was canceled after an extended weather delay Wednesday afternoon.

Boston College led Boise State 7-0 when the game was cancelled. No stats from the game will be kept. Lightning delayed the game at 1pm EST, and the decision to cancel the game was made after a delay that extended over one hour.

BC finishes the season with an 7-5 record as the bowl game is officially considered "no contest."

While disappointed by the decision, head coach Steve Addazio understood the reasoning.

"Who am I to put them in harm's way," said Addazio after the game. "I respect the tough call that had to be made here because I don't know that I could live with myself if, God forbid, something happened. I think decisions have to be made with the information we have at hand. These guys had to make a tough decision just like we do in games sometimes. I completely respect the decision that was made here, as hard as it is for everybody."

BC athletic director Martin Jarmond also shared his thoughts after the cancellation. 

"You can't make this up," said Jarmond. "First and foremost, I commend the bowl for making a tough decision. We all wanted to play. All the work and effort and fifteen practices that go into a game like this, to have it taken from you, that's a tough decision, but it's made easy by thinking about the guys. You know, being in that locker room for four or five hours and then having to come back out on a wet field, warm up, your injury - you're asking for it. At the end of the day it's an easy call, but it's a tough call, so we supported the bowl and it's just unfortunate these guys, especially the seniors, didn't get a chance to finish it out."

Jarmond also addressed the specifics of the weather pattern expected to hit Dallas.

"The strike that stopped the game was not projected before to hit us, and it did," said Jarmond. "The one coming at 3 o'clock (CST) was five times bigger. I think it was 350 lightning strikes that it was going to show. So, you're in a situation that even an hour and a half later, you're going to have something five times bigger most likely hit you and what I pushed was, 'Let's make the decision.' We don't need to delay and wait and be here at 6 o'clock, 7 o'clock. That does no one any good. To me, that second wave's that's bigger, coming, it took the decision out of our hands, quite frankly.

Anyone who purchased tickets to the game through Boston College will receive a refund:

"In all of my years of college athletics, I've never seen this," said Jarmond.