At Louisiana State University, thousands of fans pour into Tiger Stadium to watch the Tigers compete – often under the blazing sun.
Louisiana State Representative John Illg has proposed the HCR 113, which urges the SEC to avoid scheduling LSU home games before 6 p.m. during the month of September.
The goal is to help protect fans, players, and first responders from the dangerous heat conditions.
When LSU played UCLA on September 21, 2024, the Tigers got the win over the Bruins. Also during this day, temperatures reached over 100 degrees and the turf was 130 degrees.
Dereck Thompson, a research associate and climatologist, explains why the LSU vs. UCLA game caused some heated problems. First responders also responded to over 70 patrons, all relating to heat.
“Having a high humidity environment, the main mechanism that is used to cool off isn’t as effective as it would be in a dryer environment and it increases the risk of heat related illness on that day” Thompson said.
By making games past 6 p.m. would make for a much cooler time in Tiger Stadium and keep heat risks from becoming a common problem. Thompson says what you do for those higher conditions.
“Stay on top of it and make sure you’re paying attention to yourself, staying hydrated and if you feel yourself getting hot, take a step back. I think that will go a long way” Thompson said.
Whether the SEC will go through with the law or not has yet to be seen but the message of kick times starting later is proven to be more effective.
