Overview
- Stadium staff attempting to reset a west-side transformer caused an electrical short that cut power minutes before kickoff, delaying the nationally televised game by roughly one hour and 45 minutes on Monday night.
- ACC officials, school leaders and broadcasters discussed postponement to Tuesday before determining enough power had been restored to start at 9:15 p.m. with a 15-minute warmup.
- The game began without key modern systems, including full stadium lights, instant replay, coach-to-player helmet communication, sideline iPads, public address announcements and an operating scoreboard, with referees keeping official time on the field.
- SMU won the ACC opener 27-24 after play resumed, a result that drew on-field scrutiny and kept attention on game operations under constrained conditions.
- The outage has triggered sharp social-media ridicule and raised questions about Doak Campbell Stadium's readiness despite a $265 million renovation completed in 2025, and it is likely to prompt technical reviews of the transformer, backup power and game-day protocols.