College Bowl Game Cancelled In Dallas Due To Lightning

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A college bowl game was cancelled due to lightning in Dallas and concerns about more severe weather.

The first ever First Responder Bowl, that had just gotten underway at the Cotton Bowl, tweeted at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday the game was cancelled.

It will not be made up.

The game between the Boston College Eagles (7-5) and the 25th-ranked Boise State Broncos (10-3) had been delayed about an hour and a half due to lightning.

Boston College led 7-0 about nine minutes into the game when the game was called off.

In a statement, the Executive Director of the First Responder Bowl, Brant Ringler said, "We knew there was a chance of inclement weather for this game. There were no intentions to move the game...  We are disappointed for the teams that competed all year long to play here."

There had never been a postseason bowl game canceled due to weather, according to Doug Kelly, Director of Communications for the Football Bowl Association.

"The 2000 BCA Classic, a season kickoff game, was canceled due to weather.  The 1941 Hawai'i Rainbows had a postseason game canceled due to the attack on Pearl Harbor.  The 2013 CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl was canceled also, but that was not a FBS bowl game," he explained.

Fans will be able to get refunds or go to next year's game for free.

The First Responder Bowl tweeted Wednesday night,"Due to the cancellation of this year's SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, ticketholders will have the option of a full game ticket refund OR tickets to next year's game at no cost, with two additional tickets offered per order. Email info@firstresponderbowl.com"

"A bit of a disappointment," said Boise State fan Grant Borgholthaus. "You got the whole family up here from Austin.  It's kind of fun.  Boise State gets a game in Texas.  It'd be nice to be able to watch them play."

Fans from Boston College said they were, "Bummed, we were so mad.  No, we weren't mad.  Came all the way from Boston to what? We wanted to see this game."

Andrea Foley, a Boston College alumni, told CBS 11, she was here during the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1985.

"Doug Flutie in the Cotton Bowl and you had a blizzard then and now, you have a cancelled game."

Six law enforcement officers, including five from North Texas, were set to be honored at the game.

They included Officer Michael Fitzgerald and Lt. Richard Boone of the Red Oak Police Department, who in August, saved the life of a 3-year-old boy choking on a piece of plastic.

"It just felt good.  All of the negativity we see on a daily basis and to see something like this, it was a proud moment," said Officer Fitzgerald.

"To me, it's kind of a big fuss, but we appreciate the honor.  With so much negativity, it shows we're human and we do good things, too," said Lt. Boone.

Gregory Smith of the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration in Plano had planned the event to honor them.

"Law enforcement officers go to work across the country and they do good things every single day and quite honestly, when we hear about law enforcement officers, it's when something didn't go right, but this is an opportunity to recognize them when they took exceptional action and did things the right way," said Smith.

In:
• Severe Weather