Oklahoma State football offering heat relief for fans vs Oregon

STILLWATER — The heat is enough for Oklahoma State and Oregon coaches to at least acknowledge.

The Weather Channel forecasts the temperature in Stillwater reaching a high of 93 degrees Saturday with a chance for isolated thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. OSU’s game against No. 6 Oregon at Boone Pickens Stadium kicks off at 11 a.m.

The Ducks are coming from a more moderate Pacific Northwest climate. In Eugene, the high temperature forecast Saturday is 62 degrees.  

“Just a little bit different,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We’re playing this game at 9 a.m. our time. I think the heat will be something that we have to adapt to relatively quick.

"It hasn’t been hot up here, and it’s obviously going to be really warm on the turf there. So, just traveling, how you hydrate, how you make sure that you’re fresh when you get down there, all those things will contribute, and we have to handle it really well.”

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Last week in OSU’s 24-10 loss at Tulsa, the field temperature inside H.A. Chapman Stadium reached 161 degrees at kickoff. OSU coach Eric Morris didn’t think the Cowboys handled the heat well when he watched the game film. 

“The heat and were we in shape? Obviously, I didn’t think we were in shape good enough to play it,” Morris said. “Just going back and watching and seeing our body language on the sideline in the fourth quarter and people throwing up.” 

Boone Pickens Stadium is sold out for Saturday’s game. Per OSU Athletics, fans have free access to shaded cool zone areas in the west end zone on the concourse level. Complimentary hydration stations are located on the north, south and west sides of the stadium, both on the concourse level and on the upper concourse level.

Here is a map of where cool zones and hydration stations inside Boone Pickens Stadium are located.

More: Oklahoma State football players response to Tulsa loss has been mixed ahead of Oregon

Ben Hutchens covers OSU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ben? He can be reached at bhutchens@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ben_hutchens_. Sign up for OSU Sports Minute newsletter to access more coverage of the Cowboys and Cowgirls. Support Ben's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football offering heat relief for fans vs Oregon