“Stay Safe”: ESPN’s Laura Rutledge Gives Alarming Update for Texas-Ohio State Game as Calls Mount for Longhorns to Make Big Change

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Texas and Ohio State already have enough going on Saturday. No. 1 vs. No. 4, a packed house, and national attention. But fans are going to have to face another tough opponent. When ESPN’s Laura Rutledge got to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, she realized the heat was going to be part of the story.

“Look at this gorgeous place,” Laura Rutledge said while showing the stadium. “It is extremely hot. Now, game time is going to be a little later than it is right now, but I think we’re looking at about 100 degrees of kickoff tomorrow.”

A fan of hers commented on the video,

“Laura, have fun tomorrow at the Texas vs Ohio State game in Austin,Texas and drink enough water Laura to stay hydrated please and thank you ???? stay safe and have fun at Austin,Texas tomorrow for the college football ???? game.”

Texas Ohio State is going to be electric, but the Austin heat is a character of its own. Subscribe for more interesting stories.

Saturday’s forecast calls for temperatures around 102 degrees, with the heat index potentially pushing above 100. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for areas along and east of Interstate 35 from noon through 7 p.m. The kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.

Texas fans have already learned what that kind of afternoon can feel like. The season opener against Texas State was played at 2:30 p.m., with temperatures reaching 102 degrees and a heat index of 105. Austin-Travis County EMS transported 13 people from the stadium to hospitals, with three cases potentially heat-related. That experience left plenty of fans unimpressed with the idea of doing it all over again.

UT graduate student Alaiza Mata said she almost passed out. Another recalled people vomiting nearby and said some fans couldn’t make it through the first half. Still, another student described the sun as something beyond ordinary Austin summer heat. Those stories are why Laura Rutledge’s warning is getting attention before an even bigger crowd arrives. But the warning does not stop with the air temperature.

As Laura Rutledge noted, field temperatures at the stadium’s artificial surface have reportedly climbed to roughly 160 degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest part of the day. That number opened a debate among Longhorn fans. Why is Texas still playing on synthetic turf?

One frustrated supporter wrote, “There is no good reason for Texas to have synthetic turf. A former Texas AD once arrogantly let us know they have more money than the Vatican. It should be mandatory as a member of the SEC to have all outdoor athletic facilities be natural grass.” That argument probably was not going away after the turf-temperature report.

Another fan took a different approach, threatening to give up the seats rather than battle the weather again. “You’re seriously making me consider selling my tix. Now taking bids. 2 seats on the 20 yd down low,” they posted.

Then came the inevitable internet joke about cooking temperatures. “Isn’t 160 a ‘well done’ cooking safe temp,” one fan asked.

Not everybody is running for the exits, though. Some fans remember that the opener was even worse. “Last week on the field was hotter UT vs. TXST,” one wrote.

And another summed up the attitude of the faithful. “Place is going to be rocking even with such suppressive heat,” they commented.

That is probably the safest bet of the weekend. Texas-Ohio State is not the kind of game that empties a stadium. Still, Austin-Travis County EMS has plenty of reason to be cautious. Fans are being encouraged to drink water before arriving and throughout the day, wear lightweight clothing, use sunscreen, limit alcohol and caffeine, and step into shade or air conditioning whenever possible.

Starting hydration Friday night instead of trying to catch up Saturday is also recommended. The football will eventually take center stage. But Saturday begins with a different question. Can everyone handle the heat before Texas and Ohio State handle each other?

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