Liberty-App State game canceled around hurricane

Hurricane Helene has had a devastating impact on Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and beyond. One of the most notable sports impacts there comes from the Appalachian State Mountaineers, in Boone, N.C., cancelling their planned Saturday game hosting the Liberty Flames:

There are many good reasons for that cancellation, given the photos of the situation in App State’s hometown of Boone, N.C.:

And this is just part of the overall Hurricane Helene impacts . But this cancellation, (of a game set for ESPN+, and one which is not expected to be made up), could have major potential impacts on this year’s College Football Playoff. The Sun Belt’s Mountaineers were widely seen as the toughest test on the Flames’ schedule, which is largely made up of Conference USA opponents beyond that. If they win out, there will be a lot of questions on their strength of schedule.

And, beyond that, the loss of this game leaves Liberty with just 11 scheduled. That’s led to athletic director Ian McCaw saying they’re searching for a 12th game:

We’ll see if the Flames can land that. If they do, and if they win there, and if they win the rest of their games, that will certainly make their case for a CFP slot worth more discussion. But this is certainly a blow to their plans. But it’s quite understandable given the devastation in Boone from this hurricane.

[Andrew Gibson on X/Twitter]

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