The Miami Dolphins are reportedly working on a backup plan for their final preseason game if the renovations at their stadium aren’t done.
Last week, the NFL announced that they were moving the annual Pro Bowl game to Orlando, Florida for at least the next three seasons. At the time, it wasn’t the only NFL game that was heading to Mickey Mouse’s hometown, as the league also announced that the August 25th preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons was going to be played there as well.
To hear the Dolphins tell it, the league asked the team to move the game from South Florida so they could have a dry run for production and broadcast crews to prepare for the nationally televised Pro Bowl (as the preseason game is scheduled to be broadcast by NBC).
As it turns out, more and more news points toward the team starting to get slightly worried that the renovations to their stadium may not be ready in time for the preseason. Now, the Palm Beach Post is reporting the team is preparing a backup plan for their second home preseason game as well:
"Despite assurances that stadium renovations are on schedule, the Dolphins continue to eye FAU Stadium as a fall-back site for their Sept. 1 preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, multiple sources told The Palm Beach Post on Friday."
If the Dolphins were to move the game, the team would not play at home until September 25th as both their first two games of the preseason and regular season are on the road. The real winners might be the shut out fans, as the Boca Raton based stadium would only be able to hold 29,000+ people who are desperate enough to attend a fourth preseason game where no starters play.
FAU Stadium is one of only two options for a possible game location. The other would be playing the game at Marlins Park, as Miami’s baseball team is out of town that day. That stadium host the annual Miami Beach Bowl and is on the site of the iconic Orange Bowl Stadium, where the Dolphins played their first 21 seasons.
The Dolphins may not be the only tenant thinking about backup plans. The Miami Hurricanes have also reportedly made plans to move their season opener on September 3rd against FAMU to Orlando if the stadium isn’t finished.
For more NFL news, check out our NFL hub page.
Add us as a preferred source on Google