Public schools around Texas have about a year to plan for how to deal with a new summertime outdoor practice policy from the U-I-L.
The athletic director for College Station ISD, Kevin Starnes said during February’s regular school board meeting that starting in 2025, the new U-I-L outdoor weather policy will lead to canceling or shortening outdoor practices between July 1 and September 1.
Starnes said the U-I-L policy takes into account something called the “wet globe bulb temperature measurement”.
According to the National Weather Service, the “wet globe bulb temperature measurement” takes into account temperature and humidity among other factors.
Starnes said if the policy was in place during 2023, CSISD football practices would have been cancelled on 57 days and on 11 more days practices would have been limited to 60 minute sessions with a 20 minute break and with no equipment.
And if the policy was in place in 2022, CSISD football practices would have been cancelled on 35 days and on 26 more days practices would have been limited to 60 minute sessions with a 20 minute break and with no equipment.
CSISD superintendent Tim Harkrider says the new policy applies only to practices and not to games.
Starnes asked the board to consider the future construction of an indoor practice facility, acknowledging that CSISD voters are being asked for a third time in May to approve bonds for renovating athletic facilities at Consolidated and College Station High Schools.
Click below to hear comments from Kevin Starnes during the February 20, 2024 College Station ISD school board meeting.