As Texas high school football teams hit the practice field this week, coaches will be operating under a new statewide set of heat safety rules.
Beginning Aug. 1, every University Interscholastic League (UIL) member school is required to use Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measurements to determine whether outdoor practices can continue safely. The change applies to athletics and marching band activities and replaces relying on the traditional heat index alone.
The updated standards, approved earlier this year by the UIL Legislative Council, are now mandatory for the 2026-27 school year.
A Different Way to Measure Heat
Unlike the heat index, WBGT measures more than just temperature and humidity. It also factors in wind speed and solar radiation, giving schools a better picture of how environmental conditions affect the body's ability to cool itself.
According to the UIL's Heat Stress & Athletic Participation Guidelines, WBGT readings determine what adjustments schools must make during outdoor activities.
Depending on the conditions, that could mean shortening practices, increasing water and rest breaks, reducing protective equipment, moving workouts indoors when possible, or canceling outdoor activities altogether.
What Schools Are Required to Do
Under the new statewide requirements, UIL member schools must:
Measure WBGT before outdoor practices begin.
Check conditions every 30 minutes while activities are underway.
Adjust practices based on current heat stress levels.
Have rapid cooling equipment capable of full-body cold-water immersion available when required.
Those requirements are no longer recommendations. They are now part of the UIL's mandatory heat safety standards.
Districts Have Been Getting Ready
Many school districts spent the summer preparing for the transition by installing WBGT monitoring devices and updating emergency response procedures.
Football programs beginning preseason workouts this week will be among the first to operate entirely under the new rules. Schools that start practices later this month will follow the same statewide standards.
The UIL also requires schools to have rapid cooling equipment available to immediately treat athletes showing signs of heat illness.
Putting Athlete Safety First
Texas schools have increasingly adopted WBGT monitoring in recent years as periods of extreme summer heat have become more common. While many districts were already using similar procedures, Aug. 1 marks the first time every UIL member school is required to follow the same statewide protocol.
