Idaho cancels rescheduled football game against Florida in 2017 after scheduling Missouri

A severe lightning storm resulted in the Florida Gators and Idaho Vandals canceling their 2014 season-opening game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday, Aug. 30. It was decided that the contest, which was first delayed and then permanently suspended due to weather, would not be made up that season.

It now appears as if the rescheduled game, set to take place in 2017 as part of the cancellation contract, will not go off as planned either.

As a result of the 2014 cancellation, Florida agreed to pay Idaho its contractually agreed upon sum of $975,000 by Feb. 1, 2015; the Gators and Vandals also decided to schedule a contest as part of their 2017 season slates.

“We look forward to our return to Florida in 2017,” said Idaho athletic director Rob Spear as part of a press release on the subject.

According to the Spokesman Review, Idaho and Mizzou this week agreed to square off on Oct. 21, 2017, with the Tigers paying the Vandals $1.3 million for the opportunity.

As a result, Spear said Idaho will no longer travel to UF that season with the showdown between the schools now “in a season yet to be determined,” according to the paper.

In addition to its annual contest against Florida State, Florida is scheduled to face New Mexico, East Carolina and FAU in nonconference 2015 home games. The Gators have UMass, North Texas and an open slot on schedule for 2016. In 2017, Florida will open the season with a neutral site contest against Michigan. It could also add Colorado State to its schedule that season as UF and CSU agreed to a game in Gainesville between 2017-20 as part of the Gators’ buyout of head coach Jim McElwain.