Colorado Football deletes controversial post for UCF game following Hurricane Helene

Buffs social team posted the countdown graphic before contest with Knights

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders and Colorado are set to face UCF on Saturday in Orlando. While skies have been clear over the past 12 hours near the "House of Mouse", the first-ever meeting between the Buffs and Knights comes in the wake of the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, which has left a path of destruction across multiple states, including Florida. The storm has already claimed dozens of lives and is expected to cause at least $20 billion in damages.

Amidst this crisis, Colorado’s social media team faces backlash after posting a graphic that many found insensitive due to the nature of the situation on the other side of Florida. The computer-generated image depicted safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig standing on a Florida beach with water up to his knees, captioned with "24 hours," signaling the countdown to Saturday’s game. In the background, a sign read "Beware of Sharks." The post, which has since been deleted by CU's social team, spark controversy and had many criticizing its timing right as Helene made landfall near Tallahassee.

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The flooding has been one of the most devastating consequences of Hurricane Helene, beginning along Florida’s coastline before the storm made landfall. The rapid rise of water levels impacted areas as far south as Coach Prime's hometown of Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast. Many beaches saw streets flooded as early as Thursday evening, with high tides expected to worsen the situation.

Hurricane Helene struck Florida’s Big Bend region, intensifying into a catastrophic Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds. The storm unleashed a 20-foot storm surge, described as potentially "unsurvivable," alongside hurricane-force winds and severe flooding. The aftermath of the hurricane has left Florida grappling with widespread damage and loss of life.

Colorado faces UCF on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.