CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas high school coaches are going to have to take an extra step before practice this fall. Starting August 1, 2026 the UIL will require all programs to use Wet Bulb Globe Temperature to determine if it’s safe for students to practice outside.
"Everything is scientific based. I believe the UIL is trying to protect kids and do what's in the best interest of all of our student athletes," said London Athletic Director and football head coach Andy Smith.
Here is the UIL’s new policy. The Coastal Bend is located in Class 3 on the United States map. If the Wet Bulb Globe Temp is 87-90, which is the orange zone, programs are required to have 4 breaks an hour at 4 minutes each with practices no longer than 2 hours and players restricted to helmet, shoulder pads and shorts. As the temperature rises there are more restrictions.
"Whenever you have a wet bulb temperature rating of 82 and above, then you're mandated by the UL to have a rapid cooling system," Smith said.
Chief meteorologist Stephanie Lauber helped explain the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, which is a mouthful, goes so much further and gives you a precise reading because the feels like temperature heat index only takes into account the temperature and humidity. The temperature is measured in the shade. The WBGT takes into account temperature, humidity, solar radiation, how intense the sunlight is and the wind as well.
"Just like last year, we're gonna have to be able to adjust," Smith said. "There's gonna be times where we bring the kids in in the morning so we can get the adequate process time that the UIL allows us to do, and then there's gonna be times where it's later at night."
So will kids ever get to practice in the South Texas heat? There's good news on the horizon. August is going to be the toughest month, but heading into September two major changes are going to really drop that Wet Bulb Globe Temperature. That's a lower sun angle and more clouds because September is the wettest month of the year for the Coastal Bend.
The WBGT was developed by the United States Marine Corps with the help of the United States Army and the United States Navy to more Precisely measure heat stress on the body, and they did this in the 1950s. It's something that our servicemen and women still use today.
This is not to say that today’s kids aren’t tough, because as London Athletic Director Andy Smith said it’s all about protecting the kids.Practice starts Aug. 3 while the official season starts Aug. 27.
Programs will be require to check the WBGT every 15 minutes, and that's why London just made the decision to install a permanent system from Perry Weather. The on-site WBGT and Heat Index monitoring automatically tracks conditions, logs data, and alerts the school when exertional thresholds are exceeded, eliminating the hassle of manual readings and missed records.
