College football Week 1 heatwave forces game changes as temperatures top 100 degrees — SkimNews
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- South Carolina's season opener against Kent State had its fourth quarter trimmed to 10 minutes, with Williams-Brice Stadium reaching triple-digit temperatures and a feels-like reading near 110 degrees.
- Washburn and Colorado School of Mines ended their D-II contest in Topeka at 16-16 after overtime because heat reached dangerous levels, despite an early start designed to dodge peak temperatures.
- Georgia's matchup with Tennessee State kicked off at 100 degrees, the hottest game temperature in Bulldogs program history.
- Tulsa's Skelly Field turf topped 150 degrees during the Oklahoma State game, per a social media post from the school's sports performance staff.
- The National Weather Service issued Heat Advisories for Austin and Knoxville with heat indexes approaching 105 degrees for Texas and Tennessee home openers.
- The NCAA approved a new FBS calendar beginning one week earlier (the current Week 0), pending Division I Cabinet sign-off in October for a potential 2027 launch.
Why it matters: The heat didn't just make games uncomfortable — it directly altered outcomes, cutting short at least two contests and trimming a fourth quarter. With the NCAA pushing the season one week earlier starting in 2027, the calendar shift could push more August games into peak heat windows, amplifying player safety concerns already on display in Week 1.
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