Arkansas State imposed a deadline of last Thursday for Miami to pay the $650,000 the school believes it’s owed after the Hurricanes no-showed a scheduled game of Sept. 9 of last season due to Hurricane Irma.
Last Thursday has come and gone, and no check was sent. So Arkansas State is now suing Miami.
“It is unfortunate that we have reached this point, but Miami’s actions left us with no choice. We look forward to proceeding to trial,” ASU general counsel Brad Phelps said upon filing the suit.
Miami has argued the Force Majeure clause allowed the ‘Canes out of the contract, which states that the contract be canceled with neither side owing the other anything in the event an act of God makes the game unplayable. And an act of God definitely did hit Miami — except the game was to be played in Arkansas.
Arkansas State wanted Miami to make up the trip in 2020 or ’21, and Miami refused. Miami countered by offering to return in 2024 or ’25, but Arkansas State refused that.
Two damning points for Miami seemingly tilt the suit in Arkansas State’s favor: Mark Richt’s quote to a South Florida paper admitting Miami could have played the game if they absolutely had to, and the fact that, according to Arkansas State, every other Florida school either played their scheduled game for that weekend or paid their buyout clause.
“(Fellow ADs who have reached out to him) completely understand,” ASU AD Terry Mohajir told Arkansas Online. “I talked to a lot of Florida schools when the whole process was going through. So, I know what they all did. I’m not going to say what they told me.”
The guess here is that this ends with Miami paying Arkansas State an undisclosed buyout that is less than $650,000 but significantly more than nothing, and these schools never play each other again.
