Heat wave causes changes in football schedule
Record-threatening heat that is forecast Friday and Saturday across the Carolinas has caused some officials to make changes in the weekend schedule
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials announced Wednesday that kickoff times for games involving public schools in the county will be at 7:30 p.m., not 7 p.m. as originally scheduled.
Meanwhile, college football teams and fans are preparing for a number of games in the hottest time of the day Saturday.
The CMS kickoffs moved from 7 to 7:30 p.m. are:
Ballantyne Ridge at South Mecklenburg
Berry Academy at Rocky River
Buford (GA) at Mallard Creek
Corvian Community at Chambers
East Mecklenburg at Garinger
Harding at Independence
Marvin Ridge at Ardrey Kell
Myers Park at Providence
Olympic at West Mecklenburg
Providence Day at Hough
Statesville at Hopewell
The announcement came on a day when temperatures soared into the upper 90s in Charlotte and hit 100 degrees in Raleigh. It is only the eighth time in history that Raleigh had a 100-degree days in September. Similar heat is forecast through Saturday.
Add in the predicted high humidity levels, and meteorologists say heat indices (the “real feel” of heat and humidity) will approach or surpass 105 degrees.
During a heat wave that impacted the second weekend of the high school season in 2023, many schools delayed kickoffs from 7 to 8 p.m. At this point, there have been no changes announced in the schedule.
The football/weather situation has caught the attention of some people this week, including long-time Alabama meteorologist James Spann, who pointed to possible heat-related issues for Saturday’s East Carolina-Alabama game in Tuscaloosa.
“We are projecting temperatures in the 96-100 degree range in Tuscaloosa Saturday by the fourth quarter of the Bama/ECU game at Bryant-Denny Stadium,” Spann wrote earlier this week. “The heat index could be as high as 110. This will likely be one of the hottest Alabama home football games on record;”
The Charlotte 49ers open their season at home Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. game against The Citadel.
Among other Carolinas games scheduled for the heat of the day:
Kent State at South Carolina, 12:45 p.m.
Gardner-Webb at Wofford, 1:30 p.m.
S.C. State at Florida A&M, 3 p.m.
Tulane at Duke, 3:30 p.m.
Western Carolina at Campbell, 3:30 p.m.
West Alabama at Lenoir-Rhyne, 3:30 p.m.
Appalachian State’s opener is set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, but given the altitude different, conditions should be more tolerable in Boone. The forecast high is 85, although even that might be a bit much for the Mountainners’ opponent – Maine.
The heat is affecting a wide swath of the South and Midwest, and medical officials this week have been cautioning fans to be smart when attending games this weekend. The key advice is to stay hydrated, both before and during the games.
The N.C. High School Athletic Association has strict guidelines impacting athletic teams during the heat. The NCHSAA uses the Wet Bulb Global Temperature (WBGT) index, which factors in temperature, humidity, sunlight, wind and other factors.
Various restrictions go into place if the WBGT gets too high, including a requirement that prohibits practices or games in extreme conditions.
For example, at the hottest point Tuesday in Charlotte, the WBGT was 82. At that level, teams must provide water breaks every 25 minutes. That 82 index was at the lower end of the restrictions.
