Arkansas State sues Miami over canceled game

Arkansas State sued the University of Miami for $650,000 in damages for failing to reschedule a football game that was canceled in September due to Hurricane Irma.

The suit was filed in Craighead County District Court on Friday.

Arkansas State claimed in the lawsuit that Miami "refused to timely and reasonably reschedule the game in years in which it has openings."

The schools were supposed to play last year, but Hurricane Irma wiped out the Sept. 9 game in Jonesboro, Ark. Reportedly, the contract signed in 2013 by the schools stipulates that if either school cancels the game, they must pay the other $650,000.

Miami has reportedly offered to reschedule the game sometime between 2024 and 2028, but Arkansas State said those dates do not work and wants the game rescheduled for 2020 or 2021. Miami responded that although it does have open dates during that time, those contests must be home games.

Florida was bracing for Irma and decided to cancel the trip to Arkansas so players could prepare for the Category 5 hurricane, which struck south Florida on Sept. 10.

The canceled contest was the second part of a two-game series. The first game in the series had been played in Florida in 2014. Miami won that game 41-20.