This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: When nearby lightning forces officials to delay a big college football game, the backlash from fans can be fierce, especially if the sky over the stadium is still mostly blue. Sports fans took to social media to complain loudly when nearby lightning forced several game delays on Sept. 19, 2026, including Florida State at Alabama, North Carolina at Clemson, BYU at Colorado State and Charlotte at Appalachian State.
The Alabama delays earned particular anger because there was no rain at Bryant-Denny Stadium at the time. I'm a meteorologist who studies lightning and lightning safety around sporting events, so I am familiar with the risks and why those lightning rules exist. My colleague and I documented 262 football-related lightning deaths and injuries in the United States between 1970 and 2023.
That included 12 people who were injured by lightning that struck near Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, after a Green Bay-Tampa Bay NFL game in 2014, and about 40 high school players and coaches who were injured when lightning struck in the middle of a group of players running sprints during football practice in Grapeland, Texas, in 2004. Lightning strikes can also be lethal. In 2024, one player was killed and eight others were injured when lightning struck during a televised soccer match in Peru.
In 1998, multiple players were injured when lightning struck during a soccer match in South Africa. To understand why the NCAA has become a stickler for delaying games when lightning is nearby, let's take a look at the science behind the safety protocols keeping fans and players safe when thunderstorms are nearby. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. d research that matter—daily or weekly.
Large stadiums are of particularly high concern when it comes to lightning because of their open-air stands and large crowd sizes. If lightning struck the bleachers during a game, electricity could travel through the metal seats, injuring or killing dozens of fans. A strike to the turf could send ground current across the field, injuring or killing the players, coaches and game officials.
The likelihood of experiencing a lightning delay might be even higher soon. A new NCAA proposal, if approved by the Division I Cabinet, would move the start of the college football season a week earlier starting in 2027. That would mean more games played during the peak of the late summer and early fall lightning season, increasing the lightning risk further.
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