New buzzword for Texas high school sports: Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures

Changes to how hot is too hot for UIL activities launched Aug. 1

Perrin-Whitt High School held practice on Aug. 1. The UIL instituted a new heat-related protocol for all outdoor athletics and marching band practices. | Tammy Reynolds

Football practice for the 2026 season kicked off in the Lone Star State as early as midnight on Aug. 3.

Other schools opted for morning practice, but high school sports are here.

Aug. 1 marked the first day of a new heat stress protocol, with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees for most of the day.

The UIL approved Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures as a recommended forecast measurement back in 2023 to monitor environmental conditions during outdoor physical activities.

The UIL Legislative Council mandated heat protocols and procedures for the 2026-27 school year.

WBGT estimates the effect of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation using a combination of temperatures from three thermometers, according to a UIL news release.

The American College of Sports Medicine has recommended WBGT guidelines that dictate modifications in activity (work: rest ratios, hydration breaks, equipment worn, length of practice) at given WBGT temperatures to prevent Exertional Heat Stroke. The modified guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine regarding:

• The scheduling of practices at appropriate WBGT levels

• The ratio of workout time to time allotted for rest and hydration at various WBGT levels

• The WBGT levels at which activities should be terminated

WBGT readings must be taken within 15 minutes before the start of practice to ensure accuracy, according to the UIL.

Texas is broken down into Class 2 and 3 on the WBGT classification, with most of the state in Class 2, aside from portions from the Panhandle and West Texas.

It is a requirement that all schools have equipment that allows for full-body immersion in ice water if an individual is experiencing heat illness and distress.

The requirement is not just for athletics; it also accounts for marching band activities, according to the UIL website.

For many schools, the only change could be moving a practice from outside to an indoor athletic complex.

However, not all schools, particularly smaller ones, have that same advantage that schools in larger towns have.

Coach James Villarreal coaches at Tuloso-Midway High School. The school is one of those that do not have an indoor facility. However, they will have one soon.

Tuloso-Midway ISD voters passed a $140 million bond in May that will include a fieldhouse among other projects. The weather, though, will force them inside a gym.

We've been hit by wet bulb conditions every day during our athletic period, forcing us back inside. Days like these remind us just how valuable our future Multipurpose Athletic Pavilion will be.

A huge thank you to the Tuloso-Midway community for approving Bond 2026 !! pic.twitter.com/uG8DEspGJt

— James Villarreal (@Coach_V_) August 1, 2026

Texas is the latest state athletic governing association to implement the use of WBGT — which was started in part due to the 2001 death of Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Korey Stringer. He died from organ failure induced by heatstroke.

“Prior to Texas, 42% of all high school athlete participants were protected by the WBGT policy,” Rebecca Stearns, chief operating officer for the Korey Stringer Institute and associate professor-in-residence at the University of Connecticut, said in a press release from the NATA. “Now that Texas has adopted it, and given the size of the state, 53% of high school student-athletes will now benefit from this protocol.”

In most parts of Texas, if it’s 82 to 86.9, there must be a mandatory on-site rapid cooling zone and at least three rest breaks each hour for a minimum of 4 minutes. For a reading of 87 to 90, the maximum practice time is 2 hours. Football players are restricted to helmet, shoulder pads and shorts.

A reading of 90.1 to 92.0 limits teams to a maximum of 1 hour of practice, and for football, no equipment may be worn during practice and no conditioning activities. For all sports, there must be 20 minutes of rest throughout the hour of practice.

If it is above 92.1, there will be no outdoor workouts until it is cooler, according to the activity guidelines.