Kirk Herbstreit Loses Patience After Lengthy Lightning Delay in Clemson-UNC Game

Kirk Herbstreit's frustration with college football's lightning rules boiled over after North Carolina at Clemson sat in a weather delay for about 2 1/2 hours in the fourth quarter on Sept. 19.

On his Nonstop podcast with co-host and ESPN analyst Joey Galloway, Herbstreit wondered if the rules had changed. "We used to play through it," he said. "We used to play through it. Enough's enough."

Kirk Herbstreit questions lightning delay rules

Kirk Herbstreit Loses Patience After Lengthy Lightning Delay in Clemson-UNC Game — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Herbstreit, who played quarterback at Ohio State back in the day, took aim at the eight-mile rule that stops play when lightning is close.

"I don't know if it's the eight-mile radius or whatever it is with the lightning, because I've been in a couple games this year when there's been lightning delays, and I'm like, 'Hey, now listen. I see blue skies over here in front of me,'" Herbstreit said.

Galloway told him officials enforce the eight-mile radius strictly. The College GameDay analyst still disagreed.

"I just think the rules must have changed on us because I don't know what the heck's going on," Herbstreit said.

What stopped the North Carolina-Clemson game?

Play stopped with 8:11 left and North Carolina ahead 17-15. The Tar Heels had second-and-goal at the Clemson 7 when lightning was detected within eight miles of Memorial Stadium.

The teams came back out after about 2 1/2 hours. Clemson then rallied for a 28-20 win, and Gideon Davidson scored the go-ahead touchdown with five minutes left. The game lasted nearly six hours.

Clemson faced its third weather delay in three games this season. Kickoffs at LSU and against Georgia Southern were each pushed back two hours, so the North Carolina game marked the first in-game stoppage. The Tigers have had five lightning delays since 2025, and four came at home.

Under the NCAA's rule, play can't resume until 30 straight minutes pass with no lightning within eight miles. Each new strike restarts the clock.

Joey Galloway backs lightning safety rules

Galloway pushed back on his former Ohio State teammate. He said the limits are there for safety.

The National Weather Service says a type of lightning called a "bolt from the blue" can travel more than 25 miles from a storm cloud before it hits the ground. These strikes seem to come out of a clear sky, and that's why the weather service says it's still dangerous to be outside when storms are in the area.

Lightning expert Chris Vagasky, a member of the National Lightning Safety Council, said he and Ron Holle have counted 262 football-related lightning casualties in the U.S. from 1970 to 2023.

"Lightning delays prevent that number from getting higher," Vagasky said.

Lightning also struck near Tuscaloosa during the Florida State-Alabama game that same Saturday. In addition, a strike within a quarter mile of Appalachian State's stadium knocked out its speakers.

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