Florida nearly visited Auburn for the first time since 2011 and seven years early.

Prior to canceling its game with Northern Colorado due to Hurricane Irma, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin called Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs about possibly hosting the No. 22 Gators and UNC Bears.

"We've had different conversations with people calling asking could they come here and just be here and practice," Jacobs said on the Tiger Talk radio program Thursday night. "University of Florida contacted me earlier this week, Scott Stricklin, about maybe them playing their game here on Saturday. But they decided, and rightfully so, instead of playing of bringing Northern Colorado this side of the country and probably the issue of possibly getting them back home, they actually canceled the game."

Stricklin, who in a statement said "it's become obvious that playing a football game is not the right thing to do," told Florida reporters several contingencies were considered, including coming to Auburn.

Jacobs said he began thinking of the logistics involved in suddenly hosting a game.

"I started thinking about you know, painting the field, well our color orange is different than their color orange and how are we going to get their paint guys up here and do all those kind of things?" Jacobs said on the radio program. "And make sure we had enough hot dogs and water for them, but there's a lot of things that go into, particularly moving a game like that."